Child of Pluto
by VeneficaMelody
Summary: Ever wonder how Setsuna became Sailor Pluto? Why is she so alone? Why doesn't she have a lover? What was her life like before she became Pluto? Was she in love with her brother?! Find out about her mysterious past, the intrigue, the affairs, in this story
1. Humble Beginnings

_ This is a story during the Silver Millennium, about the creation and past of Sailor Pluto... Why is she alone? Why is she so mysterious, and why does it seem that she has seen more than the others? This story will answer why. _

**

Child of Pluto - Part 1 

**

The green-haired woman looked at the girl before her, the younger girl's garnet eyes boring into her onyx ones. "Mother, why can I not train with the Outer-tachi?" she cried. 

"Setsuna-chan, you have to understand. To train with the Outer-tachi is to become one of the Outer-tachi!" she said with desperation in her voice. "I do not want you to become a Senshi, Setsuna-chan, it is not a life for you!" 

The younger girl sighed, looking at her with pleading eyes. "Okaa-san, gomen ne, but Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan say that they are the most free when they are training as the Outer-tachi!" 

"Just because Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan enjoy something does not mean that you must follow in their footsteps! Setsuna-chan, you have your destiny! You are to become a merchant, just like your father and I." 

"No! The life of a merchant is not what I want, okaa-san! Why can't I have the life of one of the Outer-tachi? It would be a great destiny, ne?" 

Akika, her mother, sighed. "Hai, it would be a great destiny. However, that destiny is not for you!" 

"Why not? Because you have decreed it? Or because there is no other way for you to keep me here; under lock and key?" Setsuna yelled. 

Akika gasped, worrying the threadbare cloak in her hands. "Setsuna-chan, please! We have worked so hard for what we have now. We have worked ourselves to the bone to give you the best life possible, but this is all we have!" 

Setsuna sighed, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Okaa-san, what is wrong with you? Can't you understand that I am not a child to be dictated to?!" she screamed. 

Stepping back a pace, Akika looked at her. "S-Setsuna-chan, you do not speak to your mother in such a way," she said nervously, afraid of her daughter's temper. 

Soft-spoken and docile most of the time, when she was angered or feeling strong emotion, Setsuna was capable of killing without a single thought, only to regret it later when she realized what she had done. But for now, all Akika could do was plead with the girl. Only her father, who had given her that firey temper, could calm her. With her garnet eyes flashing, Setsuna swished her threadbare skirts to the side, their color faded. Perhaps, at one time, before the dress had ended up in Setsuna's possession, it had been colored... green, perhaps? It didn't matter, really. Hardly anything that she had owned had been new. In fact, the only thing that had been new had been a jade shawl and matching dress that had cost her parents dearly. They had gotten it for her for a birthday present a few years ago. They had been saving for years just to scrape up the money. 

She supposed she should feel guilty, after all, weren't they always there for her? But it wasn't possible at the moment. Her mother refused her the one thing she wanted most - to be one of the Outer-tachi! Running out of the small cottage (more like a shack, really), Setsuna ran down the muddied "roads" which were little more than deep wagon ruts lined with lean-to's and tents and meager cloth shelters, she searched for solitude. This "village" was known as Last Hope, a place for those who had little or no money, here on Pluto. Running through the village, Setsuna found herself on the rise of a hill, overlooking the palace. Gasping, she took a few steps back, looking at the darkened forest she had just left. She barely remembered going through it... 

"Who are you?" 

Setsuna whirled at the unexpected voice, now looking back in the direction of the Plutonian palace. She had not seen this man before... He had sapphire eyes with golden hair that gleamed in the sunlight. Smiling kindly at her, he was still waiting for an answer to his question. "Oh! I- I am Meiou Setsuna," she said quickly. 

He smiled, bowing and kissing the back of her hand. "I am Hitoshi Jori," he said, releasing her hand. 

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Jori-kun, but I must go..." Setsuna glanced back the way she had come, wondering if she could find her way back. 

"Where are you from, Setsuna-chan? Or perhaps you are lost...?" 

"H-hai, I am a little lost," she admitted slowly. Looking back at him with pleading eyes, she asked, "Could you help me?" 

"Certainly. From where do you hail?" 

Wincing, taking in the newness and good quality of his clothing, she knew he would smirk. "I am from... Last Hope," she finally confessed. 

His eyebrows rose, but other than that he made no drastic move. "Last Hope, hm? I've not been there, but I've heard that it's interesting... Shall we go?" 

"Do you...know the way?" she asked hesitantly. 

"Why, of course. I know everything there is to know about Pluto." 

Slowly, beginning to trust him for some reason unknown to her, she asked slowly, "Do you know of the one who is destined to become the Senshi of Pluto; Guardian of Time?" 

Jori sighed. "No, I regret to say that information has not been revealed to me yet. But, for now, come. I will escort you back to your village. That will please you, ne?" 

"H-hai," she said slowly, accepting his hand. 

As they traveled through the forest, where the only light was that of the sun that was allowed to break through the dense canopy of the trees to dapple the ground, causing an extraordinary contrast of light and shadow. Glancing at the man walking beside her, Setsuna was more than a little confused. Why was this man - obviously of great wealth - assisting a woman who was even more obviously so poor? She voiced that question to him, but gently, since she didn't want to seem rude. 

Jori shrugged. "I enjoy helping people. And you, Setsuna-chan, seemed to need a lot of help." 

She smiled sheepishly, blushing. "Hai, I was in need of assistance, but... You did not have to help me." 

He grinned. "Ah, but I did. It is not in my nature to simply walk away when I see someone in distress. And surely you were most distressed when I chanced upon you." 

Her thoughts took a turn and Setsuna smirked, trying to hold back a giggle. But she was not successful and the giggle escaped, followed by another and another, until she was finally laughing out loud. "What is so funny, m'lady?" Jori asked, confused. 

Setsuna had stopped in the middle of the leaf-strewn path, still laughing. "I-I am sorry, Jori-kun, but you sounded like one of those knights in stories that I heard of Old Earth. Or... Future Earth, I suppose, however one would look at it." 

"You compare me to the noble and brave knights of Earth? Ah, such a compliment must be rewarded, Setsuna-chan!" 

She blushed. "Oh, no, Jori-kun, I did not mean that I needed a reward! If anything, you should be receiving the reward for saving my life and taking me back home." 

Jori shrugged. "We're not there yet. I could just as easily leave you here as take you there. What shall I do, hm? Leave you here to wander around with hunger clawing at your insides on and endless search for home, or shall I take you all the way to your 'village' and let them deal with you there?" 

Setsuna looked at him, frowning. Why was he even suggesting leaving her here; alone? "Jori-kun?" she asked in a soft voice, her garnet eyes full of fear. "Why are you doing this?" 

He shrugged, moving on. "You are only a child; you should learn not to trust easily," he said roughly. 

"I-I am not a child! I am 17!" she cried in outrage. 

Jori shrugged. "To me, that is a child. I feel that a child is only an adult once they have matured. And, it seems, you have not." 

Setsuna stared at this man who dared to say that she was a child. Stiffening, she turned from him. "I do not need to hear such insults. If the Outer-tachi knew what you were saying--" 

"The Outer-tachi?" he raised an eyebrow and said mockingly, "If you know the Outer-tachi then I am merely a peasant." 

Glaring at him, Setsuna replied sharply, "I speak only the truth, sir, and so then you must be a simple peasant who stole those fine clothes and are assuming a false name." 

Jori let out a bark of laughter, his gaze still focused on the girl before him. Even though she wore such old and ragged clothing, she spoke with the grace of a queen and walked with the pose of a princess. Everything about her suggested royalty, but it was plain to see she was only a peasant of the lowest class. "If you think that I am lying, then I suggest you flee now, little girl," he said in a low voice which seemed ominous in its intent. 

Looking at him warily, Setsuna took a step back and then froze, deciding to take her chances. Her resolve stiffened and she looked him in the eye. "You do not scare me, sir." 

"Oh? Perhaps that is a bad thing, then. For if I do not scare you, then you cannot learn to be wary of strangers." 

"You are not a stranger any longer, though. You have escorted me thus far, haven't you? Will you not take me on to Last Hope where I might find my family?" 

"Your family... What family do you speak of?" 

"My mother and father," she replied softly. "Even though they can be harsh sometimes and not allow me the things I wish, they are still my family and all I have left in this world." 

Jori looked at her, realizing that this was what "family" really meant. It was a name or an heir, it was unconditional love; something that you couldn't live without. It was...beautiful. "Family means that much to you?" he murmured, looking into her expressive garnet eyes. 

"Y-yes," she stuttered, unnerved that he had been able to make her show expression. She had been taught from a young age to let nothing show; to always keep her face blank. Why could she not do it in the presence of this man? Shaking her head, she said firmly, "Family means everything to me; they are all I have." Turning away, she asked roughly, "How much longer until we reach Last Hope?" 

Jori sighed as she turned away with that angry but blank expression in place. Apparently he had glimpsed something in her visage that he wasn't supposed to see. But which feeling? The pain; anger; loneliness; or sadness? And those were only a few in the myriad of emotions she had revealed in that single unguarded moment. "Not long," he replied. 

Refusing to give her a longer response than that, he once again took up the lead, plowing relentlessly onward. Why didn't she want him to know her? Sure, they had just met, but he was helping her! He was saving her life! After all, who knew who else could have come upon her? People with unpure intentions, to be sure! Then, he stopped in his tracks, looking at the ground before him. Frowning, he could sense that something was out of place. Why were there tracks here, when there hadn't been any just a mile away? There had been no path to veer off on... 

He stiffened and drew his sword from the belt at his waist as four men burst out from behind the trees. "Well, lookee what we got here. A fight then our reward," one man laughed. 

Jori held the hilt of his sword tightly, glaring at the men. He knew that he couldn't let them hurt Setsuna... Setsuna! Looking over, he saw that she had frozen in fear, not moving. Pushing her behind him, he mumbled, "Stay there," before turning back to face the men. 

"So, ya gonna protect her, eh?" A man chortled. "It ain't gonna work, boy. You're outnumbered." 

Jori said nothing, taking an estimate of their strengths, power, and weaknesses by their actions and words. Nodding slightly to himself, he knew that he could take him. He hadn't been forced through years of vigorous training for nothing. "You are not to touch her," he growled. 

"Oh, and what if we do?" 

He moved into a defensive stance. "Then I kill you. Either way, it won't work out too good for you. The king will make sure that you are arrested - or killed - for daring to accost travelers on this path." 

The men laughed again. "You think you can tell the king? You couldn't even get near him!" 

Shrugging, Jori held the sword tightly, although it looked as if he were relaxed. He was thankful, also, that he had been taught this technique. "Think what you will." 

"Look, why don't you just give up now, hm? It'll save us all a lot of time. I mean, we'll have to dispose of your body later. We might just keep the girl with us and when we're not usin' her, she can work for us." 

Jori sneered at them. "Your intentions toward the woman are not honorable, cur. Do you wish to die now like the dog you are?" 

The man snorted in disbelief. "I ain't no dog and I ain't gonna die today. You are!" 

Pulling a sword from his belt, the man lunged at Jori who blocked the thrust easily. Quickly bringing his sword back down, Jori thrust it into the man's heart, smiling grimly as his limp body fell to the ground. He looked up at the remaining three men. "Anyone one else want to make the same mistake your friend did?" he growled. 

Quickly, the remaining men fled in terror, Jori laughing at their cowardice. Turning away from the downed man, he wiped the blood from his sword and put it back in its sheath, looking at Setsuna, who was frozen in fear and shock. "Y-you just killed him..." she stuttered, her eyes wide with shock. Even now, at this vulnerable time, she was trying to keep her emotions from showing. 

Moving toward her, Jori reached for her but she shrank back, not allowing him to touch her. "No!" she cried in fear. 

Seeing that she no longer trusted him, he sighed and turned away. Looking down the path, he gestured in the direction they had been traveling. "Keep going that way and you should reach Last Hope before the hour is up," he muttered, starting to walk back the way they had come. 

"Wait!" she called. When he turned back, Setsuna said, "Um... Thank you..." 

He nodded, sensing by the hesitation in her voice that she was still wary of him, even though her face showed no emotion. It took great skill to hide emotions at a time such as this. "You're welcome, Setsuna-chan. Good luck," he muttered as he turned and walked away. 

She stared after the man for a few unguarded seconds and then turned, fleeing down the path he had indicated. 

_ If you liked it, please review so I'll know to continue this story... Thanks!! _


	2. Truth of Setsuna's Birth Revealed!

**Thanks for the reviews!!**

**

Child of Pluto - Part 2

**

Wincing at her father's accusing tone, Setsuna bore the lecture quietly, showing no emotion as she had been taught. "Where on Pluto were you?!" he demanded as he at last ended the lecture. 

She swallowed nervously and said, "On the other side of the forest." 

"Near the castle?!" he yelled. 

Wincing, she said, "H-hai." 

"Were you seen?" he hissed. 

"N-no, Father. No royal saw me." 

"Good," he muttered. "It's a well-known fact that the monarchs hate all people of Last Hope and any other peasant that dares to live on Pluto." 

Setsuna sighed. "Hai, I know." 

And she did. She had been told, since she was very young, to stay away from any royalty or even noble that she might come across. But, luckily, Jori had been neither. At least, she didn't think so. He just had more money than she, didn't he? 

~*~*~

Setsuna laughed with Haruka and Michiru, but she was confused inside. Why had Jori done that? Haruka and Michiru had come with the Royal Families of Uranus and Neptune and they were now catching up on lost time. With each of them from different planets, they were rarely together with all three of them. Haruka and Michiru could be together more often because they were Uranus and Neptune and had to fight side by side. Setsuna envied the woman who would become Sailor Pluto because she, too, would be a part of their tight-knit group of Senshi. Who was Sailor Pluto, though? Perhaps Setsuna already knew her... 

~*~*~

Setsuna sighed as she handed the customer a knife with a hand-carved handle. Back in the monotonous work of a merchant, she was bored. Her one wild adventure (with Jori) had been in the back of her mind ever since it had happened - almost a month ago. "Setsuna-chan, pay attention!" her mother snapped. 

Setsuna winced, looking at the man who had been standing before her. "Oh, gomen. What can I help you with?" 

"Uhm... I wanted to apologize, Setsuna-chan," said a hauntingly familiar voice. 

Stiffening, she looked at the man. "Jori-kun!" she exclaimed. 

He smiled nervously. "Hai. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted..." 

Setsuna blinked in confusion. He was apologizing? "Apologize? But why? You are better than I; it is not your place." 

"No, that's not true. Setsuna-chan, I was wrong. I should have explained why I did what I did. You were right to leave." 

Setsuna stared at him until her mother's sharp voice drew her out of her thoughts. "Setsuna-chan! Are you going to give this man his merchandise?" Her voice softened as she looked at Jori. "Gomen ne, sir. My daughter is distracted today, it seems." 

"No, it's okay." Jori looked back at Setsuna, smiling uncertainly. "She's doing all right." 

"Very well," Akika said, turning away to help another customer. 

Jori raised an eyebrow at Setsuna. "It seems that you do alot of business. Don't you make good money like this?" Setsuna sighed, playing with a pendant on the table. "Hai... We do make good money, but it's always taken away from us." 

"What? By who?" 

"The king. He is a tyrant, to be sure. Whatever we make, he takes 99% of it. If we made $100 today, he would take $99." 

Jori gasped. "He... He does that?!" 

"Hai. But then, of course you wouldn't know since you have so much money. Did it occur to you that we are not poor by choice?" 

"I-I didn't know! I thought that you simply didn't get enough money for your wares or you didn't try to work for it..." 

Setsuna stiffened. Was he insulting her? "And why does that matter?" she asked bitterly. "Just because I am poor doesn't mean you can insult me!" 

"I-I... No, that's not what I meant! Look, Setsuna-chan, I'm sorry. Can you forgive me? Can we start over?" 

Setsuna sighed, looked off into the distance to where the other merchants were selling their wares. "I... Hai, I will forgive you, Jori-kun. Although... It is not easy for me." 

"I know, I know. I'll make it up to you! In the meantime, and so your mother won't grow angered, could I buy something?" 

"What would you like?" she asked, looking at him. 

He smiled and then looked down at the selection on the table. "That," he murmured, pointing to a hand-crafted figurine of Princess Serenity. 

Setsuna nodded and named the price. He gladly handed it over, smiling all the while. As he walked away with the figurine in his hand, Jori wondered how he could bring this up with his father. How could the king be doing this to them; to Setsuna?! 

~*~*~

"Jori-kun, don't! Your father will be most displeased if you interrupt him!" Relena cried. 

Jori shook his head, continuing on a direct path for the throne room. "I don't care, Mother. He's going to have to learn to listen to me someday and now is as good as ever!" 

"Jori-kun, please!" she pleaded, but he ignored her, throwing open the doors. 

"Father!" he cried. 

The red-bearded man looked up from the maps he was looking over, surprise and anger showing on his face. "What are you doing in here?" he growled. "Can't you see I'm busy?!" 

"Father, we have to talk!" Jori said strongly. "Why are you taxing the peasants so badly?" 

"What are you talking about, boy?" 

"The people of Last Hope! You take 99% of whatever they make! Father, how could you?" 

The king stared at him. "You dare to speak to me in such a way? And why do you care about peasant matters, anyway? What do their lives mean to us? If I could, I would kill them all!" 

"Why don't you? You're king; you can do whatever you want!" Jori yelled. 

"I don't because your mother is there!" he shouted. 

Jori stared at him. "What?" he whispered. 

The man sighed and sunk down in a chair, groaning. "I didn't... I mean... You weren't supposed to know... You were supposed to think that Relena-san was your mother..." 

"Father, what were you talking about? Who is... my mother?" Jori asked slowly. 

"Meiou Akika-san," he grumbled. "She was married, but I forced her... Relena-san could not have children so... I took the first peasant I found. I'm not sure how she hid it from her husband, or if she even did, but... I made her. After you were born, I took you and told Relena-san the truth... That you were a ba--" 

"No! He is not! Jori-kun is nothing like that!" Relena yelled. 

"Shut up!" the king yelled. "Jori-kun, I tried... I tried to protect you from this, but..." he shrugged. "I guess I couldn't. Anyway, that is why I don't destroy Last Hope. I knew that, if you ever found out, you would hate me for taking away your mother's home." 

"You... Wait, wait... Does my mother... Have other children?" 

"Hai. Meiou Setsuna-san, your younger half-sister." 

Jori gasped, staring at him in disbelief. "What?!" 

Setsuna was his sister?! "Hai. Gomen ne, I know we should have told you sooner." 

Jori shook his head, still not believing it. His sister! Turning, he ran from the room. "Jori-kun!" the couple yelled, but he didn't listen to them. 

The poem that he had heard since he was a child kept running through his mind: 

_

With hair of green,

_

And eyes of garnet,

The hidden princess,

Once revealed,

Will become as she is:

Sailor Pluto,

Guardian of Time,

Sister to Prince of Pluto!

Racing down the road on his horse, Jori realized that Setsuna was Sailor Pluto. It was what would save them all! Reining in his horse outside a shabby hut, he looked at it. Was this where his mother and half-sister lived? As a man exited the home, his head held high, Jori asked, "Is this the home of Meiou Akika-san?" 

"Hai, it is. Who are you?" 

"I am Prince Jori," he replied. 

The man gasped and bowed. "Your Majesty!" 

Jori rolled his eyes, getting off the horse. "Do not bow to me, sir. Now, please, where is Akika-san?" 

"I-inside... I'll get her." 

The man turned away, summoning his wife. As the two came back out, Jori looked at this woman... his mother. It had been she who had been with Setsuna earlier that day. She looked at him, unblinkingly. "Can I help you, Your Majesty?" 

Hearing the snideness in her tone and noticing that she did not curtsy even when her husband continued to nudge her, he asked, "Why do you not show respect to your future king, ma'am?" 

"My future king? Why, I doubt that. I will be long gone from this world when you ascend the throne, sir." 

Jori smiled. He liked her spunk. "Thank you. It is not everday that someone will believe in me and not see me as only a monarch to be feared or respected." 

"Do not mistake my meaning, sire," she said. "I do respect you. I do not, however, fear you. It would be foolish to fear you, wouldn't it?" 

"You know that I know?" he asked in amazement. 

"You would be here for no other reason. When I saw you today I thought that, perhaps, you were just seeing how the peasants lived and wanted to laugh at us. But then when you were speaking with Setsuna-chan... I knew that you were aware of who I was... And who she is. I, also, have heard the legends of the coming of Sailor Pluto." 

Jori stiffened. "Ah. Hai, of course. I had forgotten that you would know that..." 

"Is there another reason you have come here? Why, though, are you here today? For me or Setsuna-chan?" 

"What?!" her husband cried. "What are you talking about?! No one is taking Setsuna-chan anywhere; not even the prince!" 

Jori smiled. "I would not take her anywhere she did not want to go. Where is she?" 

"In the forest, talking with Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan." When Jori looked confused, she clarified, "The Outer-tachi." 

"Ah. Then she knows that she is...?" 

"No, not yet. But they were friends before the two became the Outer-tachi and they will remain so. Setsuna-chan begged us to let her train with them, but... I did not want to lose her so soon... I knew that she would be gone from my reach someday... Just like you were..." 

"Akika-san, what are you talking about?!" her husband asked again. 

She sighed and turned to him, explaining what the king had done to her. "I didn't want you to know since I though that you would become angered and so I hid it from you... I did not want you to attack the king and get yourself killed..." 

"So he is your son? The prince of Pluto is your son?!" 

"Hai... I am sorry, maybe I should have told you..." 

"Yes, you should have, but I understand." 

Jori quickly made his way into the forest, letting the couple talk it over. 

** Please review... Thanks!**


	3. The Birth of Sailor Pluto!

_ Thanks for the reviews!! _

**

_Child of Pluto_

**

Chapter 3>>

The Birth of Sailor Pluto! 

"Setsuna-chan, is something wrong? You've been silent today," Michiru said, looking in concern at her friend. 

"What? Oh, no, Michiru-chan, I'm fine. I was just...thinking." 

"Oh," Michiru said, realizing that the girl didn't want to talk about it. 

"Haruka-chan, how are you getting along? Is being Sailor Uranus all that you've wanted?" Setsuna asked. 

The dirty-blonde smiled and took Michiru's hand. "Hai, as long as I have Michiru-chan at my side." 

Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "What?! Haruka-chan, what are you talking about? Michiru-chan is Neptune... She'll always be at your side when you're fighting, ne?" 

Haruka nodded and glanced at Michiru. The other girl smiled and blushed slightly. "Yeah... Yeah, she will." 

"Setsuna-chan, we're still no closer to finding Sailor Pluto than we were before. Do you know anything about her?" 

"No, I don't. I'm sorry." 

And, truthfully, Setsuna was sorry. If she could only find Sailor Pluto, the Outer-tachi truly would have a leader and there would be someone to guard Time. "Setsuna-chan!" 

Turning at the call she had not been expecting, she saw Jori coming into view. "Jori-kun? What are you doing here?" 

"I... I came to see you... I found out something today about... myself... and I needed someone to talk to... You seemed the best choice..." 

He glanced nervously at Haruka and Michiru. He didn't want to tell Setsuna that they were related in front of them. He knew, also, that she couldn't know yet that she was Sailor Pluto. That would come in time. "Jori-kun, this is Michiru-chan and Haruka-chan, my friends," Setsuna said. 

"Konnichi wa," he greeted. "Setsuna-chan, can we talk?" 

She nodded, glancing at Haruka and Michiru, and then led him to a clearing a short distance away. "What is wrong, Jori-kun?" 

He sighed. "I was told something today that I could not believe; I didn't want to believe. But... I've realized that it must be the truth..." 

"What? Jori-kun, what are you talking about?" 

"My mother is... Not my mother... Queen Relena-san, who I thought was my mother, is not." 

"What?!" Setsuna yelled. "You are the prince?" 

"Hai..." he said slowly. 

Her mouth dropping open, Setsuna stared at him. Forgetting to bow, she just stared at him, hardly believing that this man was the prince. "The queen is not your mother? I am sorry, Your Majesty, that it has happened this way. But surely you knew that the king had never been faithful?" 

"I... Yes, I knew that but I didn't think he would lie to me about my parentage!" 

"Who... Who is your mother?" 

"Meiou Akika-san." 

In that moment, Setsuna's world fell apart. The prince was her half-brother! Then, a thought struck her. "Why would my mother... I thought that she loved my father!" 

"She does," Jori said softly, laying a hand on her arm to comfort her. He could see the tears in her garnet eyes. "My father forced her; I am sorry." 

Setsuna stood in silence, saying nothing else. How could this happen? How could she be related to the Prince of Pluto? "Setsuna-chan... There's something else you should know..." he said hesitantly. 

"What? What could be worse than this; hearing that my mother has been keeping such a secret all these years?!" 

"I..." Jori bit his lip and looked away, not sure how to tell her. "Well.... You're Sailor Pluto." 

Setsuna's mouth dropped open again. "What?! You're crazy!" she yelled. "First you come and tell me that you're my half-brother and the prince; now you try to tell me that I'm the leader of the Outer-tachi?! I don't think so!" 

This outburst was very unusual for the woman who said nothing; and showed even less emotion. "Setsuna-chan? Are you okay?" Haruka asked as she and Michiru ran up. 

"I... I am fine," she said, bringing back up the walls and shielding her emotions. "Jori-kun, how will this be decided? Will I be trained now or later?" 

Looking at the woman who had changed in a matter of seconds, he realized that she was hiding her violent reaction from her friends. "Later. First, you have to get used to the idea of who you really are. By King's Royal Decree, you must become Princess of Pluto." 

"What? But I am only your half-sister; I have peasantl blood in my veins!" 

"That does not matter. Sailor Pluto is going to be Princess of Pluto, no matter what." 

"Setsuna-chan is Sailor Pluto?!" Haruka and Michiru yelled. 

Setsuna sighed, still letting it all sink it. "I am... the leader of the Outer-tachi... Sailor Pluto." 

She seemed to be taking the news of her destiny well... But was she okay with it? Was Setsuna truly all right with being Sailor Pluto? Hai, it had been what she had wanted, but... Was it still? 

"Setsuna-chan, you will come to the palace today to receive your orders as Sailor Pluto?" Jori asked. 

Sighing, Setsuna nodded. "I have no other choice. It is my destiny; my fate." 

Haruka stared her, eyes wide. In all the years she had known Setsuna, she had never seen her so grave and solemn. Did she know something they did not about her destiny? With no emotion showing in her face as usual, Setsuna followed after Jori. Her expression was calm, accepting. Her tattered dress snagged on the branches of trees that seemed to reach out to try to keep her there, where she would be as she always had been. It was as if they wanted to keep Meiou Setsuna and let Sailor Pluto never be born. 

Glancing up at the sky, Michiru noticed that, oddly enough, the sky was turning black. But why? It was so odd! Shrugging, she trailed after Haruka and Setsuna. She couldn't worry about that now, not when their leader was about to be given her power of Time. 

----------------------

Setsuna was nervous as she entered the palace after Jori, walking beside her mother and father. What would the king and queen think? Would the queen feel resentment toward her because she was not of her blood? Did the queen already feel hatred toward Jori because of his mother? 

"Mother, Father, this is Setsuna-san; future Sailor Pluto," Jori said. 

Setsuna curtsied politely, keeping her eyes downcast. She didn't dare look at the royal couple. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesties," she murmured. 

The queen raised an eyebrow. Why didn't this girl meet their eyes? Was she really afraid of them? But why? As Sailor Pluto, she had more power than they did. She could kill them with merely a thought. "Setsuna-chan, thank you for coming here," she said. "You are to become Sailor Pluto, our protector. Will you accept this duty?" 

Setsuna nodded solemnly. "Hai, I shall, Majesty." 

The king looked at her and then sighed. "Very well. So be it, Setsuna-chan. As of this moment, your only duty is to be Sailor Pluto. You rule over the Outer-tachi now. Meiou Setsuna-chan is no more, except as the Noble Lady in Court." 

Swallowing, feeling the full weight of her decision now resting on her shoulders, Setsuna nodded slowly, accepting her fate. Resinging herself to her destiny, she turned her eyes from her mother and father, reaching out for the henshin pen that Jori was offering her. "Pluto Planet Power, Make-up!" she cried. 

She looked down at herself, holding the Time Staff tightly in her hand. "I am now... Sailor Pluto!" 

Bowing before the king and queen, she said, "I vow to serve the Royal Family of Pluto all my days." 

Jori smiled, looking at his half-sister who was garbed in the fuku of Sailor Pluto; leader of the Outer-tachi. It was her destiny; who she was! "Pluto-chan, you have done good," he said. 

She nodded. "Arigato, Jori-kun. I take my duty seriously. No one will attack Pluto as long as I am here." 

Setsuna gripped the Time Staff tightly and looked at the Meiou couple. "Mother, Father, I will never forget you... and what you did for me... Thank you..." 

Akika stared at her. This was her daughter... This was Meiou Setsuna; Sailor Pluto. "Sailor Pluto, are you ready to begin your training? Uranus, Neptune, go with her to the training room. Jori-kun, we would speak with you," the king said quickly, barely drawing a breath. "No, wife, this does not concern you," he said when his wife was about to protest. 

Jori nodded, his eyes following Pluto as she walked away with the other Outer Senshi. "Is something wrong, Father?" he asked. 

The king frowned. "No... Not really. Jori-kun, I've noticed, however, that you are 'interested' in Pluto. Now, I'm sure that you know that this is something that can never happen... Right?" 

Jori's eyes snapped to his father and he stared at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about? I am Pluto-sama's brother, nothing more." 

The king nodded. "Good. Make sure that you remember that." 

Jori left the room, leaving the king and queen alone. Setsuna's parents had already left the palace. "Should we tell him?" the queen asked as the door closed behind Jori. 

"No... There is no reason for him to know, only if the prophecy comes true. So far, it does not appear that it will." 

"But he doesn't know that there was more to the legend of the Coming of Sailor Pluto! Shouldn't he be told that there is more to it than the simple things that he is aware of?" 

"No; it is not yet time." 

**_ Please review... Thanks!!!_**


	4. The Beginning and the End

**Child of Pluto**

Chapter 4 >>

The Beginning and the End 

* * *

"Your training is coming along admirably, Pluto-sama," Haruka said. "At this rate, you'll be ready to face the evil in a week." 

"It'll have to be sooner than that," Pluto said as she tied her hair up into a messy bun. "If my feelings are correct - and I'm sure they are - the evil is already here. It's been lurking just outside of the radar, waiting for a time to strike." 

"What do we do, then?" Michiru asked. "If we can't assemble the fighting force in time..." 

"Then we die," Setsuna said grimly. 

Looking off into the distance, her garnet eyes were unfocused, cloudy. "Setsuna-chan? Is something wrong?" 

She shook her head, sighing. "What could be wrong? We are only going to die..." 

"Setsuna-chan..." Michiru said softly, concerned for her friend and leader. 

"Do not worry about me, Neptune. What is important now is the people of Pluto and the other planets. Even though this evil is going to strike here first, we all must be prepared. Each planet must have a plan of defense. If the two of you are here, protecting Pluto, who is left to guard your own homes?" 

"My guards - the Royal Ensign - will protect my people," Haruka said. 

"And my mother's contigent of troops will defend Neptune," Michiru said. "Our place is here - with our leader." 

Setsuna nodded slowly, glad at their loyalty and determination. Holding her Time Staff tightly, she said, "We should alert the Royal Family." 

~@~@~

In the throne room, Pluto bowed before her king and queen. "Your Majesties, it has come to my attention that the evil is here, just outside our borders. Neptune and Uranus have gone to alert their planets of the forseen attack." 

The king sighed. "We have not prepared sufficently to drive the evil away. Are you and yours ready, Sailor Pluto?" 

"We have always been ready," was her reply. "My Senshi and I are always prepared to fight for our homes." 

Nodding, the king thought over her words. "Sailor Pluto, you are aware that there are many dangers in undertaking this task, correct?" the queen said. 

She nodded. "I know of all of the risks involved, Your Majesty. I will gladly defend my home to my last breath. I was given Planet Power to be of some use to the monarchs and people of my home planet, and I intend to use my power to save this world." 

"What plan have you, Pluto?" Jori asked as he entered the room. 

Pluto glanced at him, her garnet eyes wavering. For some reason, she always felt... odd when he was around. It almost felt like love... or lust, but she knew that it couldn't be... He was her half-brother. And besides... Any love that she would feel would end in tragedy... It had been that way since her birth..."My plan is simple," she finally replied. "I will fight alongside the other Senshi until the evil is beaten." 

"And if you fall?" the queen asked, indifferent in her concern. 

"Then Pluto falls," was the cryptic answer. 

~@~@~

"We're under attack!" was the call that echoed throughout the palace walls. 

Already, Pluto was ready for battle. She, Neptune, and Uranus, had been fighting through the night to keep the evil at bay. But after the lengthy battle, they had fallen. Seeing Pluto fall, a sharp pain had lanced through Jori's chest. He couldn't be sure what it was, though. Was it the pain of losing a sister he had just found? Or something more? 

It could be nothing more, though, he knew. Their destinies were set in place. And now, Pluto was gone... Killed by the evil that would now surely kill them all... 

* * *

_ Please review; I'll have the next chapter posted later today!! _


	5. New Lives; Old Fates

_ **Author's Note:** Whew! 2 chapters in one day...*hears imaginary "thanks you"s from the audience* *bows* You're welcome!! ^_^ _

**Child of Pluto**

Chapter 4 >>

New Lives; Old Fates 

* * *

_'I wonder if this is what death feels like? I must be dead; it's dark. I thought that I was supposed to live a long life, guarding the Time Gate. Wasn't that to be my fate? I guess that I wasn't a good Sailor Pluto... I wonder if I died because of my feelings for Jori?'_ Pluto thought as she lay on the barren plain, her Time Staff at her side. As cold, frigid winds blew over her still body, she was slipping further and further into death's grasp... 

~@~@~

"Your Majesties, the Outer Senshi have fallen," a guard said as he bowed at the feet of the king and queen. 

"It's up to the troops now," the king said grimly. 

"If the Senshi did not succeed, then our warriors have no hope," the queen said softly. 

"We should prepare for the end..." 

With that, the king and queen gave up all hope; the light of Pluto faded away... 

~@~@~

_'I'm still alive? But why... Didn't death claim me?'_ were Pluto's thoughts as her garnet eyes opened, slowly focusing. 

"Where am I?" she whispered, looking around. 

All she saw was a barren landscape, littered with bodies. No, not bodies - skeletons. Whoever lay here had lost their lives long ago. Climbing to her feet, Pluto grabbed up her Time Staff and teleported herself to the palace. But when she got there, all she saw was what she determined to be the ruins of the once glorious palace. "No..." she whispered. 

Slowly, almost robotically, she walked through the rubble, finding a piece of glass here, a tattered silk scrap there. In the place where the throne room had once been, she found two skeletons, proof that the king and queen had perished. But where was Jori? Was he still alive? Was there a chance, however slim, that he had been able to survive this massacre? 

"They are all dead," said a soft voice. 

Pluto whirled, seeing a face she had thought she would never see again. "Mother!" 

Meiou Akika shook her head. "No, I am only her spirit. In truth, I am dead as well. The only surivors who were on Pluto are Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. They live in the Moon Kingdom now, when they are not on their home planets." 

"Mother? What about... Jori?" 

"He, too, was killed. But killed defending your body from the scavengers. For some reason, he knew that you would come back to us. He knew, when others did not, that there was no way to kill your spirit. Jori knew that the Time Guardian could not be killed." 

Pluto sighed, thinking of Jori's sacrifice. "He sacrificed himself for me..." she said softly. 

"Yes," was the answer. 

"What do I do now? Pluto is destroyed... There is nothing here for me..." 

"Go to the Moon Kingdom... Your destiny awaits you there." 

With those words, the spirit faded away into the mist. "Mother!" she cried, but the woman was gone. 

Looking up in the sky at the faint glow she knew to be the moon, Setsuna knew what she had to do. She had to go there - find her life. 

~@~@~ 

"The decision to rebuild the civilization of Pluto is causing great unrest among the people," Venus said. "They think that it is haunted by the spirits of the ones who were killed in the great massacre." 

"How can they not think that? It was a bloodshed, a true horror," Neptune said softly. 

"I never want to set foot on that planet again," Uranus said strongly. "That is the final resting place of the one woman I will ever call 'leader.' No one else could take the place of Setsuna." 

"We know. That's why we've left the final decision up to you," Serenity said. "Neptune, Uranus, since you knew Pluto the best, do you think that she would have wanted the planet to be inhabitated again?" 

The two remaining Outer Senshi were quiet, thinking. Suddenly, there was a flash of green light in the center of the room. Everyone stared at it, ready to fight. As the light receded however, they all gasped. It couldn't be! "Pluto!" Uranus exclaimed. 

The woman looked at them, smiling. "My friends. Mother was right; you are alive." 

"You... You were killed in the massacre!" Neptune cried. "How are you still alive?!" 

"I was not yet meant to die." 

"After you were not revived for centuries, we had assumed that nothing would bring you back..." Serenity said. "I regret now our decision to abandon the watch on Pluto." 

Setsuna shook her head. "No, you were right in your actions. I think that, if the watch had been continued, I would not have been able to return." 

"Why not?" Neptune asked. "We were revived soon after Pluto was destroyed." 

"It must have had something to do with my being the Time Guardian. Or perhaps it was because I was so connected with the planet... Either way, I am back now." 

"Do you wish for Pluto to be re-inhabitated?" Serenity asked. "It is your decision now." 

"I..." she hesitated. "But who would live there? The Plutonians were killed in the battle, weren't they?" 

"Yes, they were..." Mars said slowly. 

"But over time, people were born with all the qualities of Plutonians. There was a new race born from other unions. The Goddess would not allow a race to die out..." Mercury said. 

Pluto nodded. "That is good. But who would rule? There was never another royal born, was there?" 

"No, there was not another monarch to grace the land... So it would seem that you, as the holder of the Planetary Power and daughter of the late king, would be the next ruler," Serenity said. 

Pluto gasped. "I... With all due respect, Your Majesty, I could never be queen..." 

"Why not?" 

"I-I don't have the proper training... In truth, I am only a half-blood. Half-royal and half-peasant... I do not know enough to be of any use to--" 

"Please, Pluto, enough with the protests," Serenity said in a light tone. "If you truly do not wish to become queen, we can work something else out." 

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Pluto said in relief. 

Looking at the assembled Senshi, Pluto felt an odd sense of coming home. This was where she belonged - with her fellow Senshi. It didn't matter now that Jori was gone... She knew that the pain would be deep later, when she was alone, but for now, it had no meaning. The Senshi looked up to her - the Guardian of Time. She could now once again take her place in the Tapestry of Life and assume her destiny. It was her fate to be alone, she knew. 

* * *

_ Please review!! _


	6. Pluto's Plight

_ I'm glad everyone likes this... ^_^_

**_Child of Pluto_**

Chapter 6 >> 

Pluto's Plight 

* * *

For 200 years, since her "rebirth" Pluto had stood guard at the Time Gate. She had watched the Senshi mature, find love, have children. Something that she would never be able to do. She had seen Serenity find love, and have a child. Serenity had become a great queen. The planet of Pluto had never been re-inhabitated... What would have been the point without a queen? When Setsuna had refused the position, no one else would take it. The nobles - lords and ladies - didn't want to do something that Pluto herself refused. The commoners had all competed for the position, but in the end, none had gotten it. So Pluto had remained barren, forgotten by all save the Time Guardian. 

She still looked in on the planet from time to time. It remained the same, however. 

Lonely. 

Desolate. 

Like her. 

Yes, the Time Guardian and the planet of Pluto were two of the same, both destined to live a life of loneliness. "Pluto?" 

Jumping slightly, startled at the voice coming from the mists, Pluto turned. "Yes?" 

She held the Time Staff tightly, prepared to fight if she had to. "Your home is lonely, like you, yes?" the queen said. 

Pluto sighed. In all this time, the queen still had not given up on Pluto going back to "where she belonged." 

"It has been a long time and Pluto remains the same, as do I," she said patiently. In time, she knew, the queen would realize the futileness of her words. 

"The same? I think not... You might not have noticed, but Pluto is constantly changing, never the same. Is it the same with you?" 

"How is it changing? It has seemed the same to me..." 

"When the icy winds blow across the frozen tundras, the planet shifts. When the ice is broken, the water becomes restless. When a pebble from the ruins is blown by the wind, there is a change," the woman said softly. "Do you not see? If Pluto can change, can't you? Did you not just say that you are the same? So how have you changed?" 

Pluto frowned. "I... I see that you have caught me, Highness. For I have not changed, save for the fact that the loneliness seems to cut sharper everday. When I see the others so happy, it cuts deeply that I do not have the same sort of joy... That I am cut off from everyone else; alone." 

"It was your fate; destiny. No matter how much you might have fought it, this was meant to be." 

Pluto nodded slowly. "Hai, I know. My destiny was put in place long before I was even born. The prophecy that foretold my coming..." 

"There was more to that prophecy than even you knew... But with the destruction of Pluto, it could no longer come true." 

"What? More to the prophecy? What was it, Majesty?" Setsuna asked. 

"There was a second verse... One little known in the galaxy." 

"What verse?" 

_Pluto's Birth,_

Brings about the Destruction,

Of Planet and Royals,

The one she loves,

Always Forbidden,

Forever Alone,

Will be the Keeper.

Pluto sighed. "That was about me, wasn't it? The Keeper, that's who I am." 

Serenity nodded. "Yes. We all have our destinies, and you have yours. Even though yours is to be alone, it is for the greater good." 

"I understand." 

As the queen left, Setsuna kept her lonely vigil at the Gates of Time. Perhaps, sometime in the future, she would be able to have a life outside of the Time Gates and not be so alone.... Could she ever have the chance for a real family, love, friends? 

~*~*~

"Prince Endymion, the Moon Princess' escort approaches," the guard said. 

The prince smiled, glad to finally be with his love again. "Good. Send someone out to meet them." 

Pluto sighed, waving her hand so that the images would fade away. She didn't want to be reminded that Endymion - the man who had captured her heart - was going to marry Serenity of the Moon. What did that girl have that Pluto didn't? A planet? Power? Not confined to a Time Gate? 

Even though she knew it was useless, Pluto still lusted after the man. She knew that it would never be. Endymion was in love with Serenity. Still... She couldn't help her wants, right? If anyone knew, though, she would surely be cast aside, her duty stripped from her. And that could never happen... She had a destiny to fulfill as the Child of Pluto! 

~*~*~

"Endy, is everything all right?" Serenity asked, in the embrace of her lover. 

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?" 

"I don't know... You just seem distracted tonight..." 

"It's nothing, love. I'm merely wondering, though, how Father is reacting to your mother's suggestions of our 'alliance.' He didn't seem to thrilled about the idea..." 

Serenity giggled. "Endy, you know that Mother can persuade *anybody* to do *anything.* I'm sure that it will be easy for her to convince your father to allow us to marry. After all, it would be for the better of the kingdoms." 

"How so?" 

"Well, if we were forced to marry other people, we would probably end up having an affair with each other and that wouldn't look well for the Moon and Earth Kingdoms." 

He laughed. "Ah, I do like your logic, my love." 

~*~*~

_'I wonder if Serenity knows what she has? Does she know how lucky she is to have someone to love, especially that man?'_ Pluto thought as she watched them. 

"Pluto, Queen Serenity requests your presence in the Moon Palace." 

Nodding, Pluto waved the servant away. Taking up her Time Staff, she knew that her duty was once again calling to her. 

Bowing before the queen, she waited for her orders. "Pluto, you have served our kingdom faithfully for many centuries now... Do you still regret your decision?" 

Pluto shook her head. "I have never regretted my choice, Majesty. I live to serve the Moon Kingdom." 

The queen smiled softly. "Yes, I know that your decision was not made under force... But since you were born into this position, you really didn't have much of a choice, did you?" 

Slowly, Pluto shook her head. "No, Majesty, I did not." 

The queen nodded. "It is good that you are aware of your place. Especially in this time of unrest between the Kingdoms." 

"Highness?" she asked in confusion. 

"You have realized that the kingdoms of Earth and Moon are to be joined, yes?" 

"Of course, Your Majesty." 

"Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion will need all the protection they can get. That means that the four Inner Senshi: Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter, will be the princess' Inner Court. Always there for her. The four generals: Malachite, Zoisite, Jedite, and Nephrite will be there for the prince. The Outer Senshi: Neptune, and Uranus will guard the Solar System. Unfortunately, there is a twist in Fate's plan. Without Pluto as the leader of the Outer Senshi, they may fall apart. Have you reached a decision on what we shall do about the planet of Pluto? Without a Queen, it cannot be a true planet." 

"I..." Pluto hesitated. 

"Majesty, there is a messenger from the Kingdom of Neptune!" 

Pluto frowned. "Oh, dear. We'll have to continue this another time... You are dismissed, Pluto," the queen said quickly. 

Bowing, Pluto transported herself back to the Time Gate. _'What am I to do?'_ she wondered._ 'As Sailor Pluto, I am the only one worthy to be Queen... But am I ready? Can I do this?'_

* * *

_ Please review! _


	7. Judgement

**_Child of Pluto_**

Chapter 7 >>

Judgement 

* * *

To Pluto, her life had turned to drudgery. Always guarding the Time Gate, never leaving the confining Hall of Mists. Sometimes, she looked in on the lives of the others. There were the Senshi -- always happy. There was the Moon Queen -- content in her life. There were Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion -- in love and planning their wedding. And there was she, Pluto -- lonely. Was there any other destiny for her? She didn't think so. 

_'Am I the Child of Loneliness, instead of the Child of Pluto?'_ she wondered. _'If I accepted my "destiny" as Queen of Pluto, maybe then I wouldn't be so alone... Would I?'_

Life had become a repetition of lonely moments for her. There was nothing else... Only the ever present loneliness. Sighing, she looked through the Mirror of Time. She frowned. Always, her future was clouded from view. That annoyed her to no end, but she knew it was meant to be. Wasn't it? 

"Child of Pluto, are you questioning your destiny? Your place in life?" asked a voice. 

She whirled, grasping her Time Staff. "Who's there?" she called. "Who dares to address me in such a way?" 

"It is I, Daughter of Chronos, and your Guardian." 

From the shadows stepped a woman, unfamiliar to Setsuna. Her hair was long and dark violet. Her eyes were of the blackest pitch. Her lips were ruby red and her skin as white as the mists that surrounded them. In her hand she held a violet-tinted Staff with a Green Orn atop it. Her clothing was a mixture of dark green and light violet robes. 

"You are... my guardian?" Pluto asked softly. 

"Yes," was the reply. "I did not expect you to know of me... We Guardians are hidden until the time when we are needed." 

"Oh." Then, a thought struck her. "The time when you are needed? And you think that you are needed now?" 

"Yes. I was called." 

"Called? By whom? And why?" 

The woman shrugged. "I do not know. You are Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time. You should know somewhat of the reason why I am gracing these hallowed halls with my presence." 

Pluto frowned. "I... I can think of no reason, ma'am. And... Who are you, exactly?" 

"I am the Daughter of Chronos. You may call me... Hera," was the soft reply. 

"Hera?" Pluto frowned. "That is a name unfamiliar to me..." 

Hera shrugged. "Not many know of it. But then I go by many names... I try not to use the same one twice..." At Pluto's confused look, she said, "It gives me an air of mystery. Even though I do not enter the mortal realm often, there are times when it is unavoidable..." 

Pluto nodded. "I, too, am used to that. I do not leave these Gates unless I must." 

Hera smiled softly. "Sometimes, you find that destiny is out of your hands." 

Frowing now, Pluto saw an odd glint in the woman's eyes. "I... I have found that destiny is not always friendly." 

"Ah, of course. It is a lesson that we all must learn. But of which are you speaking? Of the fact that everything you knew -- your life, your family, your planet -- was taken from you in one fell swoop? Or the fact that the one you love belongs to another?" 

Pluto stilled, staring at her. "You know..." she said quietly. 

"I know all," was the reply. "As the Daughter of Chronos, I am the all-seer, the all-knower, the being of immortality and everpresent being." 

"But still, there are things that I don't understand..." Pluto said. "How can all of this be possible? How are you... everywhere and nowhere?" 

"It's simple, really. Merely a form of --" 

Hera's words stopped and she stared off into the distance. "Ah," she breathed softly. 

"What?" Pluto questioned. 

"You are not ready to know of these things yet," the woman said. "Just remember, your alleignace will be sorely tested... If you are to come out the victor, you must put aside all feelings of jealousy and unrequited love... If you do not, death will come swiftly to claim you." 

With those words, the woman disappeared. Pluto gasped. She was... gone? And what had she meant? A test? Why? For what purpose? And when? 

~*~*~

"Mother, I don't understand," Princess Serenity said, looking at the regal form of her mother. "Why must we test Sailor Pluto? She has always been faithful to us." 

"I know, daughter. But there are things that I have been informed of -- things that could be disatrous if allowed to continue." 

"Mother?" she questioned. 

"Do not question my actions, daughter. For now, go to your prince and be content in your love for each other," she commanded. "Do not forget the phrase: 'Amore vincit omnia.' Do you remember what it means?" 

"Of course... It's old Latin, from Earth. It means 'True love conquers all'. But why bring up that phrase now? My training is over!" 

"I know... Just remember those words, my daughter. You may need them in the time to come." 

~*~*~

It wasn't Pluto's greatest wish to be on trial in front of the Moon Queen, but that was where she found herself. In front of all the galaxy, she was being tried for treason. _'How could it have come to this?'_ she wondered. _'What did I do wrong?'_

"Sailor Pluto, Meiou Setsuna, you are here today to stand trial for suspicion of treason. How do you plead?" said the judge. 

"Until I know of my so-called crimes, I cannot plead one way or the other," was Pluto's answer. 

"Treason," the judge repeated. 

"That tells me nothing. There are many forms of treason." 

"Betrayal," someone from the audience yelled. 

"Lust!" 

"Peeping Guardian!" 

Those were only some of the false accusations thrown toward her until the judge roared, "Silence!" 

When there was at least some semblance of silence in the room, he continued. "Do you accept these... charges?" 

"I am guilty of nothing," she said quietly. 

The Moon Princess, holding the hand of her lover, glanced at her mother. _'Why is this trial being held?'_ she wondered. _'What grave sin has Pluto commited?'_

Feeling a squeeze on her hand, she glanced at her lover. He smiled encouragingly at her. "Don't worry, this will be over soon. I'm sure this is all a mistake. I don't think the Time Guardian could really be guilty of anything like that," he whispered. 

She smiled. "After this is over, we'll go somewhere where we can be alone?" she whispered back. 

He nodded. "Of course, my love. We'll forget this whole, stupid incident." 

Serenity giggled and then turned her attention back to the scene being played out before them. 

Pluto angrily and jealously turned her eyes away from the intimate little scene she had just seen between the prince and princess. _'Probably planning a tryst after they get out of here. I'm sure they don't care what happens to me!'_ she thought angrily. 

"Pluto, it seems that your feelings have shifted, ne?" the judge observed. 

"Wh-what?" she asked, her garnet eyes snapping to look at him. "What are you saying?" 

"Anger and jealousy are clouding your aura... Do you know why this might be so?" 

"I... No, I have no idea..." was her reply. 

The judge glanced at Queen Serenity, who sighed. _'Doesn't she understand? I thought Hera warned her of the judgement!'_ Serenity thought. 

Frowning, Serenity said, "Pluto, are you aware that your time of judgement is at hand? If you are not found worthy... You know the penalty." 

Pluto winced. "Yes, I know of the penalty... But why would I not be worthy? Your Majesty, I have served the Moon Kingdom faithfully for centuries!" 

"That was before the birth of the one you now lust after, wasn't it?" the Queen observed. 

Pluto drew in a sharp breath, her garnet eyes flicking to Endymion before going back to focus on Queen Serenity. "I... I do not know what you mean," she lied. 

Serenity sighed, a look of despair coming over her face. "Then you have sealed your fate." 

"Wh-what?" Pluto cried, looking at the queen. 

"With your denial, you have sentenced yourself to eternal banishment..." was the quiet reply. "Eternal banishment on the barren rock once known as Pluto." 

"No!" the Time Guardian cried, but her words were carried away by the wind as the sentence reacted to the power of the Silver Crystal and carried her away -- to Pluto. 

~*~*~

_'The place that was once my home, it is now my prision.'_ was the thought that ran through Pluto's head as she looked at the ruins of the once magnificent palace. _'I had hoped that I would not be forced to see this sight again,'_ she thought in depsair. _'I guess I should have listened to Hera's words. Doesn't she know more than I?'_

Sighing, the woman pushed her hair back and began to search for things she could use; a place she could stay. Was there *anything* hospitable left on this barren rock? 

~*~*~

"Perhaps the sentence was a little too harsh, Majesty?" was the question. 

"No, Hera, she deserves to know humility. If she could not let go of her feelings after your warnings, then she has nothing. Until she learns that Pluto needs a leader -- one who will not let unfounded emotions rule her, then she remains on that rock -- a loner." 

The woman sighed. "Very well, Your Highness." Hera curtsied. "As of now, I shall take over the duties of the Time Guardian; it is my destiny. But I will be waiting for the time when Setsuna will arrive, to take back her rightful place." 

"She will have accept her role as Queen before that time," was the quiet reply. 

"It will not be easy. She is stubborn and headstrong -- like her father." 

"I know." 

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_ Please review... I'll have the next chapter out as soon as I can write it... ^_^ _


	8. Decisions

Child of Pluto   
  
Part 8  
  
Decisions  
  
  
  
It was a lonely existence; there was nothing for her. Here, on this barren rock that had once been her home, Pluto had no choice. She lived in the ruins of the once glorious palace, clawing out survival from one day to the next. She wasn't sure how much time had passed since she had been sent here -- everything had all blurred together. What did it matter anymore? There was nothing left for her... She was alone; deserted.  
  
What else could she do? Only sit, wait, and try to stay alive. It was easier said than done, however. For everything she did, the frozen winds blowing over the tundra only put it back the way it had been. Would it ever stop? She wasn't sure...   
  
But what could she do? Survival was her only thought now... Staying alive and trying to puzzle out how the Moon Queen had known about her infatuation with the Earth Prince... And how long would she be on this cursed planet?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
'She should have given up by now... No one can last that long in those frigid temperatures...' were the thoughts that ran through Hera's mind as she watched the woman who was banned to Pluto.   
  
"She still waits?"  
  
"Yes, Your Highness," Hera answered. "It seems that Setsuna will not give up easily. But, really, should you have sent her to Pluto? To the place that hurts her the most?"  
  
"She must learn to overlook pain; emotion, if she is going to be a proper Time Guardian. That is what got her in this mess in the first place; the emotions of lust and love," was the reply.  
  
Hera sighed, nodding. "I understand, Majesty." As the Queen left, the new Time Guardian continued to look at the scene before her. The green-haired woman was being battered by the cold winds. In all this time, she had failed to make a proper shelter for herself. Apparently she didn't understand the power that was at her fingertips. Didn't she know that, as the only living heir to the throne of Pluto and holder of the Garnet Orb, she was able to make the planet bend to her will? With only a thought, the planet would do anything she asked of it. But only if she knew of the power she possessed. She had to be aware of it, or she could not use it.   
  
"Are you just going to let yourself fade out of existence? I'm not going to be Time Guardian forever, you know... I have other duties," she said to the image in the mirror. But, of course, her words went unheard, lost in the chasm between Time and Space. Or Time and the real world... She wasn't sure yet which one.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I pity her," said the golden-haired girl.  
  
"She deserved what she got," said the raven-haired one. "No one lusts after the prince except Serenity!"  
  
"Mars, isn't that just a little too harsh?" the blue-haired woman asked, looking up from the paper she had been writing on. "After all, it wasn't Pluto's fault that Prince Endymion was already in love with Princess Serenity."  
  
The brunette rolled her eyes. "Mercury, this isn't supposed to be logical! It's about ethics; what's right or wrong! And what she did was wrong!"   
  
"But if she didn't act on her wantings... Can we really judge her? After all, I doubt she could have changed so much in the years she was away from us..." Neptune said.  
  
"Neptune, they won't listen," Uranus said, laying a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "We're the only ones who truly understand Pluto. She's our leader, not theirs."   
  
The aquamarine haired girl nodded, sighing. "I just wish there was a way we could make it better for her... It's not right that she has to suffer so... We're all part of a team; the Sailor Senshi. We swore to protect, but how can she do that when she's banished to Pluto?"  
  
"We don't know when she'll come back," Uranus said. "And until she does, we have to go on fighting like we did before; when we thought she was dead."  
  
"She might as well be dead if she's stuck there! What use is she to us now?" Mars yelled angrily. "Why can't she understand that Endymion belongs to Serenity, not her?"   
  
Mercury sighed. "You can't explain love; you can't tell it that it's wrong."   
  
"How do you know?" Jupiter asked.  
  
"Mercury are you in love?" Venus sang.  
  
"What? No!" the girl stuttered, blushing. "I just... I don't think that it's right... She can't help who she falls in love with... I've read about it..."   
  
Neptune sighed. "Pluto was our leader. I think that we knew her better than anyone. And what we know is that she would not have acted on those feelings! Even if she did lust after the prince, she understood that he was not hers; that he was taken! How can you condemn her for that?"   
  
"Because she should have understood that there was no use in wanting him. She should have known that he belonged to Serenity!" Mars yelled.  
  
Uranus jumped to her feet, slamming her fists down on her table. "Pluto knew that!!" she yelled. "It's why she let Serenity have him!"  
  
"Uranus, don't!" Neptune cried, standing and clutching at the woman's shoulder. "If the others don't want to believe it... Let them."   
  
"What we believe is that Pluto should have focused on her destiny, not on unwarranted longings," Jupiter said.  
  
"Pluto stood back as her heart was ripped out so that Serenity could have happiness! Is that not sacrifice enough for you?!" Uranus screamed.  
  
Tension was running high between the two groups of Senshi. But who would win this battle of wills? The Inner Circle or the Outer?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The silence was deafening. Before she had been sentenced to this place, Pluto had never understood that phrase. Now, she did. Silence could deafen a person, especially if it were allowed to go on for so long.  
  
Looking at the dust blowing across the barren valley, Pluto kicked a small pebble down the cliff. Maybe it had been, at one time, a piece of the once-glorious palace. Now, it was only a piece of rock; a ruin like the rest of this planet. There was nothing left for her here. There was nothing left for anyone here. So how could the others expect her to become queen of this wasteland?  
  
She refused to rule something that was so barren; that had nothing to offer. What would be the point? Sure, there were "subjects" out there who would benefit from her "gracious rule," but what would it really gain in the long run? A life of royal living? Eternal servitude from the inhabitants of a barren, lifeless planet? That wasn't what she wanted... She wanted something more than that... Something that she could actually be proud of...  
  
  
  
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Well, if you liked it, I hope you review. There will be longer chapters later, though. ^_^ 


	9. Saturn

**_Child of Pluto_**

Chapter 9 >> 

Saturn 

The woman sighed, seeing the suffering that the former Time Guardian was going through. If only she would give up -- accept her position as the queen of Pluto... But, no, it was clear to see that Setsuna would not do something like that. She was too head-strong to give up so easily. 

"Mars?" 

The woman turned, seeing the aqua-haired Senshi of Neptune standing there. "Yes?" 

"I-I came to apologize for the way Uranus acted earlier... She had no right to say some of the things she did..." 

Mars shook her head. "No, Neptune, I understand. Both of you are upset over the loss of your leader -- it's to be expected." 

Neptune sighed. "Not for us, it's not. I regret that Uranus' actions may have brought Queen Serenity's disfavor upon us... But it is not something that can be fixed now. I come here to try and make peace before we, too, are banished as well." 

"What? No, Queen Serenity wouldn't banish the two of you as well! There must be Outer Senshi to take up the fight!" Mars protested. 

"I only wish I could be as optimistic as you... But no, I am aware of our fate. Because of Uranus' brash words, we are to join our leader in exile." 

As the woman walked away, Mars gaped at her. Was it true? Would Queen Serenity truly exile *all* of the Outer Senshi? 

~*~*~*~

Queen Serenity sighed, knowing that what Neptune had said was true. She *should* exile the two of them, as well, for their harsh words and reckless actions. But how could she? They were all that the Outer Circle had in the way of defense anymore... 

"Majesty?" 

The woman glanced up, seeing the captain of her Royal Guard standing there. "Yes?" 

"There is a messenger from Saturn to see you, Your Highness." 

She frowned. "What is their business here?" 

The man shrugged. "I do not know, sire. He did not say." 

"Well then, send him in. Station guards outside the Throne Room in case he tries anything." 

"Yes, Majesty." 

The man bowed and ran off to do her bidding. Queen Serenity sighed, bring a hand to her forehead. "What could King Dosei want now?" she groaned. "Haven't we given him enough assurance that his planet will not be touched by our 'petty' wars?" 

"Your Highness," a dark-haired man said, bowing before her. He was dressed in the colors of Saturn, the insignia on his right forearm signifying him as the Captain of the Saturnian Guard. 

Serenity looked at him, recognizing him as the man who had accompanied King Dosei on the few times he had set foot in the Moon Palace. "Reisha," she murmured. "I had not expected you to be here. What can I do for you?" 

"Great queen, our king is in trouble. He did not want you to be informed of this, but we must tell you. His daughter, the princess, is the lost Senshi of Saturn." 

"Why would this bring trouble to your king? I do not understand your words, Reisha." 

"He refuses to acknowledge her power and it could destroy him -- all of us. Is there not something you can do? Surely, as the Queen of the Silver Alliance, you have the power to collect all of your Senshi. Do you not?" 

She nodded. "Yes, I do possess that power. But I cannot just take a child from her parents. She would not want to go, I do not think." 

"Princess Hotaru is not like other children, Your Majesty. She knows who she is, what she can do. It would be her pleasure to live here with you and learn to harness her power." 

Serenity sighed, looking at Reisha. "You know that I am not obligated to have a Senshi from each planet, ne?" 

"Yes, I know this, but the people of Saturn have talked and we have all agreed that it would be better if the Senshi of Death and Rebirth learned how to harness her powers." 

"You are aware, of course, that there is only one who can teach her properly?" 

"Yes... Sailor Pluto." 

"And do you know where Pluto is?" 

"Exiled," he said quietly. 

"Exactly. And she shall remain so until she can prove to me and the Courts that she is deserving of her title and powers." 

Reisha sighed. "I am sorry, Your Highness, but I believe this to be a mistake. The Outers are not complete without their leader. And without Pluto, Sailor Saturn cannot learn." 

Serenity frowned. "I understand your position. However, if King Dosei does not know of this, I do not think it proper." 

"But... What of Sailor Saturn? Surely you need her powers!" 

The woman nodded. "Yes, that would be helpful... However, we can't take risks. Please, go home and broach this idea to your king. Perhaps then we can reach an agreement." 

"Great queen, you know that ever since Saturn backed out of the Silver Alliance, there has been great unrest between them and the rest of the planets." 

"I know this. What of it?" 

"If we are not careful... King Dosei could take revenge on you for the 'humiliation' you caused him..." 

"I will not worry about that until it happens. Now, please go back and inform your king of your wishes. If he wishes for Saturn to join our ranks, it will be so." 

The man bowed. "As you wish." 

~*~*~

Setsuna sighed, looking at the distant orbs in the sky that were Earth and the Moon. The two kingdoms that had given her the most. Lust and betrayal; a duty and a privilege. But what did any of it matter now? Here, exiled on Pluto, she had nothing. Should she try to get back in good standing with Queen Serenity? But to do that, she would have to agree to being Queen of Pluto. And was that what she wanted? Could she live like that -- a monarch whom everyone looked up to? 

"Why was I destined to have such an uncertain fate?" she murmured to herself. There was no one here to hear her words. Only the winds blowing across the ruins and the dust clouds breezing across the plains were her constant companions. Ever since her exile, she had learned the arts of patience and of humility. 

Sitting on a high cliff, she was looking at the ground below her. It had been a constant battle to survive in this world, but she had managed. How much longer did she have to go on like this? She wasn't sure how much longer she could last... She was a descendant of the great kings and queens of the past, from Pluto's now-dead legacy. What did she have to offer to the Silver Alliance except a dead planet and quickly fading once royal bloodline? Perhaps that was why she had been exiled -- because she had nothing and would accept nothing. 

"Is humility the lesson I was to learn?" she murmured. "If so, I have learned it a hundred fold." 

She sighed, her garnet eyes studying the barren terrain that she had come to know so good in the last century. She had no idea of what was going on in the galaxy; what was happening on the other planets. Was Saturn back in the Alliance yet? Had Hotaru realized her powers? Were the Senshi yet a formidable fighting force? Or had all of it changed with her exile? She didn't know. She wasn't even sure that she wanted to know. It didn't matter anymore, really. She had no place in that world anymore. 

"Setsuna," a soft voice called. 

She jumped, not having heard another human's voice for a very long and lonely time. "Who's there?" she called, looking around. Climbing to her feet, she adopted a defensive stance and prepared to defend herself against whoever had dared to enter her kingdom. 

"Do you not recognize me? It is I, Mars." 

"Where are you? Why can I not see you?" Setsuna demanded. 

"I am not there; only my spirit has traveled far to speak with you." 

Setsuna gasped. Whatever had drawn Mars here must be serious if she would leave her body only to speak with her. "What is wrong? Why are you here, Senshi of Mars?" 

"I have come to warn you of coming destruction. The Senshi of Saturn has been revealed to be Hotaru, daughter of King Dosei. If her powers are not harnessed, death and destruction will come to us all." 

"King Dosei refuses to acknowledge the need for her training, yes?" 

"Correct. What are we to do? Without Saturn learning how to control her powers, we will all die." 

The once Senshi of Pluto sighed. "I do not know. If I still had my station as Sailor Pluto, I could command King Dosei to send his daughter to me for training. But, alas, I have nothing now." 

"It is common knowledge that Queen Serenity will not give you back your position unless you take the title of Queen." 

Setsuna frowned. "I cannot. I am not a queen." 

"You have to be. Please, Pluto, for us -- for the universe! You are the only one who can save us all -- who can convince King Dosei that Hotaru needs to be properly trained!" 

As the voice faded, Setsuna knew that Mars' spirit had once again entered her body, probably in front of the Sacred Fire on Mars. "It is my decision..." she whispered. "I will be the one to decide the fate of us all..." 

~*~*~*~

In her chambers, Queen Serenity looked up at the distant star, knowing it to be Pluto. "Should I exile the other Outer Senshi, as well? It would be a brash decision, yes, but something that should be done... Uranus spoke to rashly -- it sounded almost of treason," she whispered to herself. 

"But, no, they are all that is left of the Outer Circle. If King Dosei will not allow Princess Hotaru to be properly trained in her powers, we will all be killed by the unleashing of power. It matters not. I will let the Outer Senshi remain -- for now. If only Pluto would accept her fate... Become the Queen she should be..." 

* * *

_ Please review!! ^_^ Thankies!!_


	10. Return of Lady Pluto... Arrival of Hades...

**_Child of Pluto _**

Part 10 >> 

Return of Lady Pluto... Arrival of Hades? 

* * *

The man frowned, tapping his fingers on his throne. "You were on the Moon, Reisha. Why?" 

"Because, Your Majesty, your daughter's powers are far too dangerous to continue go on without be harnessed," the guard answered truthfully. "If they are not contained, we could all die." 

King Dosei smirked. "You fear death so much, then?" 

"No, I do not fear it, I respect it. There is a difference. Just as I respect the power of death, I respect the powers that your daughter holds. Princess Hotaru should not be sacrificed because of your selfish whims!" 

King Dosei frowned at the man. "I hear treason in your voice, Reisha. If you do not follow my commands, you will find yourself meeting death quicker than you expected!" 

The Captain of the Saturian Guard bowed, leaving the room quickly. The king frowned, realizing that he would have to take drastic measures if he was going to stop his people from revolting. He absolutely refused to allow his daughter to go to the Moon, even for training. If Pluto wanted her to learn, she could teach her here! 

~*~*~

Serenity's frown encompassed the whole of the room. Looking over the assembled people, she knew that she would not find King Dosei or any representatives from Saturn. She had called this planetary meeting to hopefully get the people of Saturn to realize that theirs was a dire situation indeed. If Sailor Saturn's power was not contained, then they could all be destroyed. 

A child with the powers of Death and Rebirth at her fingertips who had no idea how to work them was not a good thing. Especially if her home planet was not an active participant in the Silver Alliance. Why did King Dosei have to be so stubborn? It was that stubbornness that would surely get his people and himself killed! 

Heaving a quiet sigh, Serenity raised her hand for silence. There was no more time to wait, she knew that no one from Saturn would show up. "My friends, I have called you all here to address a dire situation. The Princess of Saturn does not realize the full extent of her powers that she is beginning to use. Without the proper teaching, she could bring about the destruction of us all. She can destroy an entire planet, an entire universe, and then bring it back to life. She can bring the planet's life back, but not the inhabitants. That would mean that we would all die, if we cannot gain King Dosei's cooperation." 

"We're going to die?" someone cried. 

"Only if we cannot get King Dosei of Saturn's assistance," Jupiter replied from her position at Queen Serenity's left. 

"Why doesn't King Dosei help us? Are any inhabitants of Saturn even here?" a man cried. 

Queen Serenity shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, but no, there is no one from the Saturian Kingdom who could attend today. Perhaps they have stayed behind to attend to Princess Hotaru, who is losing more control over her powers everyday." 

"King Dosei's decision to stay away from this Council proves that there is something wrong on Saturn!" the Uranian High General yelled. "Doesn't it, Queen Serenity? Isn't it true that Saturn will be the downfall of us all if Princess Hotaru is not killed?" 

"The Saturian Princess is not the only cause that could end the Silver Alliance," Queen Serenity said calmly. "Until people realize this, the Alliance cannot go forth." 

"The queen is speaking the truth," the Jupiter Overlord said. "There are more people out there than just the ones of Saturn who want the Silver Alliance to fail. We must all work together if the Silver Alliance is going to become a reality." 

"The SilverAlliance is already a 'reality,' it just isn't complete. Without the cooperation of Saturn, Earth, and Pluto, there will be no completion," Queen Serenity said. 

"Your Majesty, Pluto is no longer a planet," the War Chief of Mars said. 

"Wrong. It is a planet. It always has been, even if there was no one living there after the attack that killed everyone. Pluto has always been recognized as a planet, and it will remain so." 

The Moon Queen's silver eyes traveled over the assembled people, picking out the Senshi, the royalty, and the different noblemen and women of the planets. Jupiter had it's overlords; Mars had its war chief's; Venus has its Generals… There were many different people from many different castes in this same room, all banded together for one reason. The survival of the Silver Alliance. The Alliance would succeed, or they would die trying to make it work. 

~*~

Sad eyes stared up at the ebony sky, not even starlight able to penetrate this darkness. Harsh, bitter winds blew across the plains, blowing the woman's hair across her face, but she didn't bother to push it back. Standing on a barren, rocky cliff she looked to where she knew her princess to be, even if she couldn't see the distant symbol of the moon. "My duty is to guard you," she whispered. "Have I failed you, hime-sama?" 

Ruby lips pressed together in a thin line, attempting to hold back the pain of loss; of humiliation. She had sworn, given her word. An oath as binding as a blood promise, but it had been broken because of her foolish lusts. Betrayal had come blindingly quick to the life of Meiou Setsuna, leaving her changed forever. 

The day her dreams had been shattered, so too had her heart been broken into shards that still lingered on the breeze. Soundless cries, heard oft on the wind. She knew that it was her soul crying out for what had been lost. For what she would never have again. What she didn't deserve. 

Just because she had loved him, lusted after him, it didn't mean that Endymion would have wanted her. It was Serenity that had captured his heart, his soul. There was no room for Setsuna in that life. So what else was there for her? Maybe, she reasoned, Queen Serenity had been wise in exiling her to this barren rock where she could do no more damage to Serenity's pride, or her life. 

As the darkness became even deeper, so did her despair. The paleness of her countenance shone through the ebony of the night, the moisture running down her cheeks a mute testament to her pain; her many losses. Was the pain really worth it? Was it all worth this lonely existence? She could give up Endymion, she had already lost him. She could let Serenity have him, it was the princess' destiny to find in him her true soul mate. 

"I will accept whatever destiny gives me," she murmured as the frigid winds blew around her. 

~*~

The woman's stern expression did not slip as she gazed at the bowing warrior before her. Silver eyes passed over the once-distant form of the once-proud warrior. "You have found your way back," she said quietly. "Speak." 

The once mighty warrior took a deep breath before she began to utter her words. She wasn't even sure if she was alive anymore, wasn't sure what her life meant. "My queen, forgive me for my transgressions," she said. "I was not thinking clearly. I understand now that Fate is the one who weaves our Tapestries of Life; I cannot interfere. Even though I guard the Time Stream, I cannot interfere with its course. I understand that it is the same with destiny. I have my destiny: to be Queen of Pluto and Senshi of Pluto." 

"You accept all of this then? The responsibilities that come with your decision?" Queen Serenity said calmly. 

"Yes." 

The queen nodded. "Very well then. Your choice is a wise one. The Ceremony will be soon." 

"Hai, Majesty." 

~*~

All of the galaxy was abuzz with the news. Sailor Pluto had returned, she was going to take her place as Queen! The destiny of the farthest planet was not yet destroyed! Only Saturn did not take this news happily. 

"If Pluto wishes it, she could take away Hotaru!" King Dosei muttered to himself. "I can't let that happen… Even if her powers should be controlled, she wouldn't hurt us. We're her family!" 

"Since when does 'family' mean anything to those of dark powers?" 

Dosei whirled, staring at the forbidding figure standing before him. An aura of dark power swept from the dark figure. "Who are you?" he croaked. 

"I am Hades, God of Saturn," he said harshly. "Now, who are you to say that the Saturian Princess will not kill you? Just because you are her 'family' makes you immune to death by her hand?" The god scoffed. "You have much to learn mortal." 

Quaking in fear, Dosei nodded. "Y-yes, sir," he stuttered. It wasn't every day that you were visited by a god; especially not one as powerful as Hades! 

"The Senshi of Time, Sailor Pluto, is a formidble opponent," the god mused. "We must use stealth and careful planning if we are to win against her. Does the Princess listen to your commands, mortal?" 

Dosei nodded sharply. "Yes, she does. Is there something wrong that we should be aware of? It is not often that we are visited by our patron god." 

The god rolled his eyes in a show of irritation. "Yes, something is wrong!" he snapped. "The Saturian Princess has not yet released her powers and shown everyone that Saturn is the most powerful planet there is!" 

The king shifted nervously, knowing that his patron god was angered. "My lord, forgive me. I-I was not aware that I must train her and teach her to control her powers…" 

"It is your place!" the god snarled. "No matter. Tell me, of what age is the Princess now?" 

"Fifteen, sir. The youngest of all the Senshi. The Inners are eighteen, while the Outers, Uranus and Neptune, are twenty." 

Hades frowned thoughtfully. "Hm… Even though the Saturian Princess is the youngest, she possesses the strongest powers. With her on our side, we will be victorious! The Silver Alliance will fall and Queen Serenity will be brought to her knees!" 

~*~

Just outside the doorway, Hotaru listened in fear. How could they think to make her an object of power, something to use to gain their revenge? She wouldn't allow that! She was her own person, her powers were hers to do with what she wished - and no one could tell her any differently! 

Slinking away from the doorway, she made sure that she was not heard as she made her way down the hallway. In her room, she sat down on a plush velvet chair in front of her vanity, frowning in thought. The dark purple silk dress that she wore matched her eyes, and the enbroidered symbol of Saturn on the bodice stated her royal position. Her eyes were drawn to the corner where the Royal Glaive of the Senshi Saturn floated above the marble, bejeweled pedestal. It had been presented to her at her birth, everyone knowing that she was to be the future Sailor Saturn. But they had not foreseen her powers and the damage they could do. 

Hotaru didn't want to hurt anyone, even though she knew she had that power. She just wanted to be accepted, not treated like she was fragile and would break at the slightest slip. Why did everyone treat her as a porcelain doll; as if she had no true emotions? Did they see her only as the inhabitant for the powers of Saturn? 

"Princess Hotaru, Senshi of Saturn," a voice said. 

Hotaru looked up, surprise registering in her eyes. "Who are you?" she asked the woman standing there. Then, she caught sight of the woman's fuku and her large, key-like staff. "You're Sailor Pluto, ne?" 

"Hai," was the quiet reply. "And you are Sailor Saturn. It's time for you to take your place on the team of Senshi." 

"My place…" the girl whispered. "But I am not fully trained yet. Besides, my father and Lord Hades are…" Her words trailed off, the girl realizing that with the accusation, she could bring Queen Serenity's wrath down on her father. 

Pluto nodded once, sharply. "I already know of their devious plot. Do not fear, all will be well. It is time for you to come with me, though. It is long past time for you to be at your peak. That should have been months ago, and here you are, still not completely trained with your powers!" 

Hotaru bit her lip, casting her eyes down to stare at the marble floor. "I am sorry, Pluto, but my father would not allow me to train properly…" Then, a thought occurred to her. "You are free from your exile, my lady?" 

"Yes, I realized and accepted my true destiny, just as you must. I am Queen of Pluto, as well as Senshi, and so must you take ahold of your destiny. Fate waits for no one - not even a Senshi." 

Hotaru nodded. "I understand." 

"Then let's get you out of here. You can begin your training in the Time Stream. On the day of the ceremony where I shall become legal Queen of Pluto, you will be revealed as the Senshi of Saturn. Your powers will then be at their peak… with a little help from the Ginzuishou." 

The girl gasped at the mention of the Ginzuishou, Queen Serenity's sacred crystal, but said nothing as the portal to the Time Stream opened at Pluto's command. 

~*~

Two days later, in the Uranian palace, Princess Haruka couldn't believe her eyes when Sailor Pluto appeared before her. The Senshi of Time smiled softly at the confused look in Uranus' eyes. "Why, don't you remember me, Uranus? Surely I haven't been gone that long," she jested. 

"P-Pluto-sama?" the girl asked in disbelief. 

"Yes, Uranus, it's me." She paused, glancing around the training room. She had found Uranus dressed in training tunic and leggings, wielding a large broadsword. "Do you even rest from training?" she questioned. 

"Not often," the woman said, having once again gained her composure. "So Queen Serenity re-enstated you, eh?" 

"Yes, she did. I must take my place as Queen, though." 

Uranus nodded. "Perhaps it's for the best." 

"Hmm…" Pluto said softly, her garnet eyes traveling over her friend. "How is Neptune?" 

"Well as can be expected," was the answer. 

Pluto nodded. "You will be at the ceremony, then?" 

"Of course, my Leader." 

Nodding silently, the Senshi of Pluto clasped Uranus' forearm in the traditional sign of respect and frienship between warriors and pivoted on her booted heel, vacating the room. 

~*~

Dressed in a dark green silken dress, Pluto stood before the Moon Queen, her solemn expression not slipping once. "Majesty," she murmured, curstying before the queen. 

"Lady Pluto, you are commended on your brave actions while during your exile. Not once did you complain or beg to be brought back into the Circle," the queen said. 

"To complain would have been childish, my queen." 

"You have shown that you deserve your title as Lady and Queen of Pluto, as well as that of Plutonian Senshi. Do you accept these honors, Lady Setsuna?" 

The woman nodded once, her garnet eyes fixed on her queen. "Yes, my Queen, I accept my destiny as Queen and Senshi of Pluto." 

Serenity gestured quietly, and a servant moved forth with the Royal Crown of Pluto, as well as a necklace, a fine silver chain, with the symbol of Pluto on it in dark green shades. "Then I give you your throne, Queen Pluto," Serenity said as she placed the tiara on top of the woman's head, along with the necklace around her neck. As the Plutonian symbol nestled atop her bosom, Pluto smiled slightly, proudly. 

Her destiny was beginning. She stepped back, nodding to her queen. "I thank you." Hodling up her henshin wand, she yelled out, "Pluto Planet Power, Make Up!" As Sailor Pluto, her garnet eyes seemed to glint with a mysterious light. "And now, for my surprise," she said softly. 

"Oh? You have a gift, Lady Pluto?" Queen Serenity asked. 

"In a way," was the reply. The small, dark-haired girl who had accompanied Pluto walked closer, the deep purple of her eyes full of worry and nervousness. "My Queen, meet Hotaru-sama, Princess and Senshi of Saturn," Pluto said. 

Hotaru curtsied before her queen, sweeping the skirts of her dark purple dress to the side. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Highness," she said quietly. 

Queen Serenity smiled. "Your powers have reached their peak?" 

"Yes." 

"Good. Pluto, you have done well." Serenity looked at Hotaru, noticing the fear in the girl's eyes. "Her father is not aware that you have trained her?" 

"No, King Dosei's bargain with Hades was not taken lightly by me. I have already dispatched Uranus and Neptune to bring him here." 

"Pluto, there are still things you must answer for," Serenity said. "But for now, we shall concentrate on reviving the planet of Pluto." 

Hotaru stepped away from the regal woman, not wanting to appear weak in her eyes. She could feel the weakness beginning to pull her down again, but she said nothing. Swaying slightly, she made her way back to the room that Queen Serenity had graciously allowed her so that she could rest and conserve her strength. 

~*~

Mars watched as the Saturian Princess fled from the room. She glanced at the corner, where two figures stood. They nodded and moved to follow the princess. Sighing, Mars turned her attention back to where Queen Serenity was speaking, hoping against hope that her feelings were wrong and Hotaru wouldn't bring down destruction upon them all this night. 

* * *

_ So, anybody like it? .... Please review!! ^_^ _


	11. Ketsubi no Shirubaa Sennenki

**_Child of Pluto _**

Chapter 11 >> 

Ketsubi no Shirubaa Sennenki 

* * *

The man frowned, his gaze on the two Senshi in front of him. "So, Pluto did steal my daughter away. I should have known!" he said. "The Senshi of Time was always a traitor!" 

Uranus glared at him. "Pluto is no traitor! She is aware of her position in the Solar System and she is doing her best to make the Silver Alliance work, even though it pains her. What are you doing? Nothing!" 

The man sneered. "I do what is best for my people! Leave my planet, you ungrateful women! You're not fit to be called warriors!" 

"Quiet!" Neptune snapped. "It is not your place to question our actions. Come to the Silver Moon Palace, or face Queen Serenity's wrath." 

King Dosei rose, staring at the two. "I remain here," he stated firmly. 

Uranus and Neptune looked at each other. Neptune held out a hand and an aqua light surrounded Dosei. "What?!" he cried. "Hey, what's going on?" 

Dosei, Neptune, and Uranus all disappeared in flashes of aqua and golden light. 

~*~*~

Queen Serenity looked up, smiling slightly as the two Outer Senshi appeared in the Great Hall, towing along a snivering king. "Ah, King Dosei," she said as she rose. "How nice to you to join us." 

Dosei glared at her. "It's not by choice, let me assure you. Why am I here?" 

Serenity sighed. "You are here because you have not answered my summons. Have you forgotten that, even though you are the King of Saturn, I am still your queen? I rule you, Dosei, and that's something that you shouldn't forget." 

He bowed his head silently. "My daughter's powers are enough to kill even you, Serenity." 

The queen shrugged. "Perhaps. We are not here to discuss that, however. You are here because of your daughter not getting the proper training. Didn't you realize that she could have killed us all - even you?" 

Dosei frowned. "Hotaru would not do something like that! She trusts me… She wouldn't kill her own father!" 

"With powers she cannot control, she could," said a new voice. 

Dosei frowned, his eyes widening at the sight of Sailor Pluto. "You!" he cried. "You are the one who stole my daughter from me!" 

She shrugged slightly. "She wished to come with me and learn how to harness her powers. I did not steal her; I helped her." 

Dosei glared at her. "My daughter will be the strongest Senshi of all!" he yelled. "Not even you can defeat her!" 

"I will not hurt my friends," said a soft but firm voice. 

Staring at his daughter, Dosei frowned. "Your friends, eh? These pitiful Senshi?" He laughed. "Just because they have protected the Solar System and the Moon monarchs so far, it doesn't mean that they are capable of protecting you as well." 

"I can protect myself," she told him. Swinging her Glaive up, she brought it in an arc close to Dosei's throat. "You will die if you dare to hurt my friends," Saturn hissed. 

Swallowing slowly, Dosei nodded. "I-I understand…" 

"Good." 

"Don't try to cross the Senshi," Serenity said. "They can be very powerful opponents, and you don't want them for an enemy." 

Dosei nodded. "Of course." 

~*~*~

In Charon Castle on Pluto, Setsuna looked at the Garnet Orb atop her Time Staff. "Finally, I am myself again," she murmured. 

Garnet eyes full of lost memories traveled over the only barren plot of land upon the surface of this planet. It had been where she had spent most of her exile, just outside of the ruins of the former Plutonian Castle. She had asked Queen Serenity to leave that one place the way it was when the queen had begun her healing with the Ginzuishou. Setsuna had wanted that one place to be a memorial of her time of exile. 

"My queen?" 

Setsuna turned, her gaze centering on the maid standing there. "What is it?" 

"Lady Neptune is here to see you." 

Nodding, Setsuna awaited the arrival of her fellow Senshi. "Neptune," she said with a polite smile. "I've missed you." 

The aqua-haired woman smiled. "Setsuna. You haven't changed a bit. How is ruling?" 

The woman shrugged. "Boring." 

Michiru nodded, watching her friend. "Princess Serenity tells me that you are going to enter the Time Gates tomorrow?" 

"Yes, I am… Why would the princess be worried about this?" 

Michiru smiled. "Worry not, my friend, she harbors no ill will towards you. Serenity is a kind and gentle ruler. Tell me, why do you go back to the Time Gates? Couldn't you just watch the Time Stream from here - in Charon Castle?" 

"No, I cannot," Setsuna answered. "I am required to guard the Time Stream and make sure that the three taboos are not broken." 

"Well… It's your decision, then. Will you be able to aid us in our battles, though? It was always hard without you…." 

"Michiru, you've gone without me for this long. I'm not sure if I can desert my station at the Gates just to aid you in a battle." 

"I know that you have your duties, just as we do. But you're our leader, you're supposed to be there when we fight!" 

"Yes, I am supposed to, but as the Time Guardian, I just don't see how I can. Michiru, the combined powers of you, Uranus, and Saturn should be enough to-" 

"There! Setsuna, don't you see? You've just said it yourself." At Pluto's confused look, she clarified, "Saturn. She's not used to fighting without you. Do you really think she'll be able to fight so quickly without her trainer there?" 

"Well… She'll have you and Uranus. Neptune, you have to understand! I can't fight because it's forbidden! After tomorrow, I can no longer leave the Gates of Time - for any reason!" 

Michiru winced. "Very well then. We'll all miss your leadership, my friend." 

~*~*~

The large gates before her opened slowly, allowing her entrance. Taking a deep breath, Pluto entered her destiny. Looking around her as the gates closed, Pluto saw the familiar scenery of the Fourth Dimension - the place where the Time Gate's inhabitants would reside. Her garnet eyes swept around her surroundings, acquianting herself once again with the place where she would be spending eternity. 

Taking her place before the Time Gates, Pluto began the long and lonely vigil. 

~*~*~

Mercury frowned, looking at Queen Serenity. "Majesty, do you realize what you are asking? For us to execute the king of Saturn would put all the planets at war!" 

The other Senshi nodded, agreeing. "With all due respect, the Senshi killing a monarch would not look good," Neptune said. 

Serenity sighed. "I know, but King Dosei must be made an example of. Princess Hotaru can take over the ruling of Saturn, as is her birthright." 

Slowly, the Senshi nodded. "If it is your wish," Jupiter said. 

"Please. Dosei needs to learn his lesson. As does Hades." 

The Senshi stared at their queen, their mouths agape. "Hades?" Mars asked. 

Queen Serenity nodded. "Yes. Dosei and Hades were plotting to use Saturn's powers against us and kill us all. Luckily, Setsuna was able to alert us in time." 

Uranus frowned, her fingers tracing the intricate designs on the hilt of the sword at her side. Her Space Sword had always protected her and served as a good weapon. "If Pluto is not able to fight with us, the Outer Guard are not truly a team," she said. 

Her eyes were centered on a point above Queen Serenity's head, not really looking at the proud queen. "As true as that may be, Pluto is to guard the Time Gates. When the time comes, she will be a good queen for the planet. Until that time…" 

~*~*~

Pluto sighed, wiping the image of the queen and Senshi from the Mirror of Time. "You are wrong, my queen," she murmured. "I shall never become the queen of Pluto because of the tragedy we are to face…" 

Her garnet eyes full of sadness, she turned away from the mirror. It wouldn't change anything if she dwelled on the future; on the impending doom. "I am sorry, my queen, princess, Senshi…" she whispered. "I am bound by the rules of Time not to aid you…" 

~*~*~

Mars looked up, frowning. "The end is near," she whispered. Rising to her feet from the mat she had been sitting on, she pulled out her henshin wand. "Mars Power, Make Up!" 

"I have to warn the queen," she murmured as she teleported to the Moon Palace. 

~*~*~

Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn stood outside the palace, each on a corner of the large building. All of them were crucial in the Outer Planet Attack that they were now performing. They would continue with this until one of them fell, or until they were too weak to go on. Their powers worked as a forcefield to protect those within in the palace and to drive off the evil forces that were attempting to push their way into the palace. The power of the three Talismns pulsed with light as the three Outer Guard attemped to defend their princess and queen. 

Inside the palace, they knew that Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter were prepared to defend the princess and queen to their last breath. As the evil power moved ever closer, Uranus winced from the pain. _I wish Pluto was here!_ she thought. 

Hearing Neptune and Saturn call out their power phrases to strengthen the forcefield, Uranus did the same. Even as there was a new surge of power from her Glaive, Saturn fell to the ground, her lifeblood spilling around her. 

"No!" Princess Serenity yelled from within the palace, sensing in her heart that one of her Senshi had fallen. 

Uranus winced, hearing the Princess' anguished call. Opening her eyes, Uranus gasped to see a youma right in front of her. "Ahhh!" 

Gasping, Uranus recognized the cry. "Neptune!" she called, but there was no answer. Sighing, Uranus knew that the Neptunian Senshi was dead. 

Wanting to go to her lover's body, but knowing that she was the last line of defense before the evil got to the palace, Uranus was forced to hold her position. Glaring at the youma in front of her, Uranus called forth all of her power, shielding the palace in a flash of blinding light for a moment before a searing pain ripped through her shoulder. 

Crying out, Uranus looked to see the razor-sharp claws of a youma embedded in her flesh. Ruby red droplets of blood dripped down to the ground, splattering on her boots. Falling to her knees, Uranus fought to keep her Space Sword in the air, but it was no use. As she felt the darkness consume her, she regretted that she couldn't defend her princess. 

~*~*~

Princess Serenity stared at the Inner Guard in horror. "How can you sacrifice your lives for us? Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus have already fallen!" 

"We have sworn to protect you to our deaths, princess," Venus said as she held the Crystal Sword in her hands. 

Mercury frowned as she scanned the outside of the Throne Room, where they were located, with her scanned. "The evil's almost here… Get ready, you guys." 

The others nodded. As the doors burst open, admitting a flood of youma, the Senshi powered up their attacks. "Burning Mandala!" 

"Supreme Thunder!" 

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" 

"Crescent Beam!" 

For a moment, Venus lowered the Crystal Sword to throw her attack, but picked it back up quickly. Even with the power of their attacks, the youma still advanced. Serenity's horrified gasp filled the room as one of the youma ran Mercury's chest through with a spike. "No! Mercury!" The princess screamed. 

"Sorry, princess… I wasn't strong enough…" The girl whispered as she fell to the ground, blood streaming from her body. 

"Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter threw the attack at the youma that had killed Mercury, her pain causing the electricity to crackle throughout the room. 

"Mars, behind-" Venus cried, but before she could finish her sentence, a light beam from one of the youma had pierced her between the eyes. Falling to the blood-soaked floor, Venus looked up at Jupiter with pain-filled eyes. "Take the sword," she whispered. "Protect the princess." 

With that, her eyes closed and her life force disappeared. "No! Venus!" the princess yelled, falling to her knees, her body wracked with sobs. 

The queen laid a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder, but she knew that she couldn't possibly ease her pain. Not when the girl had seen the death of her friends. 

Her eyes full of anger, Jupiter picked up the sword. "Mars, cover me!" she cried. 

"What?" the girl asked in confusion. 

As Jupiter ran into the thick of the youma army, Mars didn't ask any more questions, she only attacked. Anti-evil charms, her "Burning Mandala!" attack; they were all thrown at the youma surrounding Jupiter. 

It was no use, though. As Jupiter fell under the onslaught, the Crystal Sword came arcing through the air to land in Mars' hands. The Fire Senshi looked back at her princess and queen with sad eyes. "I'm sorry, this is the way it has to be," she said sadly. 

Turning away from them, Mars held the sword above her head and ran into the thrashing youma army. "No! Mars!" Serenity yelled, but it was too late. The Fire Senshi's blood was already staining the marble floor. 

The princess' eyes moved up to see a woman standing there; her eyes evil looking and a large black cloud floating behind her. "Beryl," the queen whispered, her gaze following her daughter's. 

The evil woman grinned. "How nice to see you again, Serenity." Then her gaze shifted to the princess. "I believe I have something of yours…" 

A form appeared in front of the two Moon monarchs… A body. The princess gasped, horrified, as she saw who it was. "Endy!" she screamed, holding him close. "Oh, no, Endy!" 

But there was no answer; his corpse was long dead. Raising now dead, soulless eyes to Beryl, the princess took her lover's sword from the sheath at his belt. "You have taken my friends, you have taken my love. I won't allow you to take me." 

With those words, the princess thrust the sword through her own heart. "No! Serenity!" the queen cried. 

But the girl was gone, joining her lover and her friends in the land of the dead. 

~*~*~

Setsuna turned away from the Gate of Time as her queen fell, using the last of the power of the Ginzuishou to send the Moon Children to the future. "I'm sorry, my queen," she whispered. "If only I could have fought with them, perhaps there could have been a different outcome… The power of the Garnet Orb would have been helpful to the Outer Guard. 

She could not leave her post, however, and she was destined to watch as her friends fell, their fuku's soaked through with blood. Holding a hand out, she called forth the Space Sword, Aqua Mirror, and the Silence Glaive. As the three Talismans rested in the misty space of Time, she sighed. "These will remain here until your powers are needed," she murmured. 

Already, Setsuna had looked through the Mirror of Time and seen that one day, far in the future, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn would have need of their holy Talismans when they once again took up the fight. 

Turning her pain-filled eyes back to the Mirror of Time, Setsuna patiently awaited the future when the Moon Children would be born again. 

* * *

**Note: **_I know that the Space Sword, Aqua Mirror, and the Garnet Orb are really the three Talismans, but since Pluto was not able to join the battle, the Silence Glaive was used in place of the Garnet Orb. Really, the Silence Glaive COULD be considered one of the Talismans because it belongs to the Outer Senshi... _

Anyway, please **review**! ^_^ 


	12. Love's Helping Hand

**

_Child of Pluto _

**

Chapter 12 >> 

Love's Helping Hand 

Setsuna frowned, looking at the small boy in the hopsital bed, tears making their way down his cheeks. "Do not fear, Mamoru," she whispered. "All will be well." 

Even though she could not comfort the reborn prince, her heart was lightened to see the princess enter the room, giving the boy a rose and a sweet smile. Setsuna turned from the Mirror of Time, her gaze going back to the three Talismans that rested in the mists calmly, waiting for the time when their bearers would call upon their power. "Someday," Setsuna whispered, looking at her own Talisman – the Garnet Orb – her eyes misty. "Someday." 

~*~*~

Eleven years later, Tsukino Usagi, now fifteen, raced down the street to school. "I'm gonna be late!" she shrieked. 

From across the street, a green-haired woman smiled softly. _'You'll never change, princess,'_ she thought. 

Turning away from the scene, she got in the nearby maroon car and drove past the girl, both heading toward the school. Setsuna was to accept her new position as guidance counselor today, and she wanted to help Usagi. 

~*~*~

Usagi frowned, looking at the name on the door. _'Setsuna Meiou ~ School Guidance Counselor.'_ She sighed. "I don't need a counselor," she muttered. "Just because I'm late and get bad grades doesn't mean anything!" 

Resigning herself to at least half an hour to listening to the same "stay in school, set your goals," speech she had heard all her life, Usagi knocked on the door. 

"Come in!" 

She raised an eyebrow as she opened the door. The voice hadn't been that of an old woman, as she had expected. Stepping into the room, Usagi was surprised to see a young woman sitting behind a desk, looking at the contents of a folder. 

Looking up, the woman smiled. Her garnet eyes sparkled with… amusement? "Ah, Tsukino Usagi, I presume?" 

"Hai." 

The woman gestured to a seat. "I am Meiou Setsuna. I hope we can become friends, Usagi-chan. That is, if you have no objection." 

Usagi smiled slightly. Even though she knew this was an act, she found the woman to be friendly. "Perhaps," she replied. 

Setsuna smiled at the young woman, seeing in her the spirit of the princess. Although Usagi wasn't as graceful, nor as learned, as the moon princess had been, it was still very clear to see that they were the same person. "Usagi-chan, your principal tells me that your grades are slipping drastically. What could be the cause for this?" 

Usagi sighed in annoyance. "I don't know," she muttered. 'Maybe it's because I found out that I'm a supposed to save the world from youma?!' she thought. 

Setsuna's eyelashes dipped down as she glanced at the papers in front of her. "Haruda-san tells me that you are friends with Mizuno Ami, the school genius?" 

Frowning, Usagi nodded slightly. "Yes, I am… So?" 

"So maybe Mizuno-san could help you with your studies?" Setsuna suggested. 

Grimacing, Usagi looked at the woman. "Ami isn't quite that good… She'd never be able to teach me." 

Setsuna smiled slightly. "And you're so sure about that? Tell you what, I could find you a tutor… If, after a week, you still think that it's hopeless for you to learn, you can give up." 

Usagi shrugged. "I can get rid of the tutor after a week? You won't bother me about it again?" 

The woman shook her head. "I wouldn't bother you in the slightest over your decision." 

"Okay then," the girl agreed. "One week." 

Smiling secretly to herself, Setsuna glanced at the application for a tutoring job. The name on the sheet was one she had come to know well as she had watched over him – Chiba Mamoru. 

~*~*~

The ebony-haired man smiled at the counselor. "It's good to see you again, Meiou-san," he said. "I hadn't thought that you would find me a job so soon." 

The woman smiled. "Tsukino-san needs a bit more help than the normal student… I hope you're up to it. I know that your college classes must give you a lot of work…" 

"Yes, ma'am, but I can manage," he replied. "So, who is I'm going to be tutoring?" 

"Tsukino Usagi. Her grades are very low, and I hope that with a tutor she will show some improvement. The thing is, she has no motivation. There's no reason she can find to work hard at her studies. I thought that perhaps you could give her that extra incentive somehow." 

"Me?" He shrugged, looking a little stunned. "I can't think how I could get some girl to want to study…" 

Setsuna smiled. "You might have more power than you think." 

He frowned. "Excuse me?" 

"Nothing," she said quickly. "Now, Tsukino-san will be at the library at four tomorrow. You're free, I hope?" 

"Hai, I'll be done with my business by then," he told her. 

"Good." 

~*~*~

Usagi sighed, her fingernails tapping out a lively rhythym against the wooden table as she waited for her tutor. He would probably be old and stuffy, she decided. Too focused on education to care that she had other things to focus on. "Tsukino-san?" 

She looked up, her eyes widening as she looked at the handsome young man standing there. "H-hai," she stuttered. 

"I'm Chiba Mamoru, your tutor." 

_'My tutor?'_ Usagi thought. _'Wow, he's so cute!' _

Mamoru smiled as he sat down in the chair across from her, pulling out papers and books from his bag. "What subject would you like to start with?" 

Usagi grimaced. "Er… Is that really necessary?" 

"I'm afraid it is," Mamoru said. "I'm here to teach, and you're here to learn." 

She frowned. "Well, then… How about we start with American Literature? I could never understand how the authors could write such odd stories." 

Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "Odd? What do you consider 'normal,' then?" 

"Myths and legends are my favorite," Usagi replied. "Especially ones about the rabbit in the moon, or Selene, the Moon Goddess." 

Mamoru smiled. "That's what your name means, isn't it? 'Bunny of the moon'," 

She nodded. "Yes." 

Glancing down at his papers, Mamoru pulled out a folder. "Well then, you'll be interested to know that Meiou-san has sent along some legends for us to study." 

Usagi's interest was caught by his words. "Legends? Like what?" 

Flipping through the papers in the folder, Mamoru frowned slightly. "These are ones I've never heard of before. And I've studied legends from all parts of the world." 

"What're they about?" Usagi asked. 

"Um… 'Legend of the Three Talismans', 'Princess of the Moon', 'Senshi of the Solar System', odd things like that… They're all based around magic, like shoujo manga." 

She smiled slightly. "Sugoi! I always liked shoujo manga…" 

Mamoru nodded and they both bent over the papers, beginning to read the various legends Setsuna had written for them from her memories. Hopefully it would make them realize their past. 

~*~*~

Standing at the entrance to the Gates of Time, Setsuna frowned at the light shining from the Aqua Mirror. "What does this mean?" she whispered. "Is Neptune about to be awakened? Or is it a sign of even more tragedy to come?" 

She had watched the Outer Senshi since the day of their rebirth – Ten'ou Haruka, Kaiou Michiru, and Tomoe Hotaru. Always protective of them, Sailor Pluto had let nothing happen to the ones who she was to lead. 

Her garnet eyes became unfocused as she found herself lost in memories of the Silver Millennium. Neptune and Uranus had been her dearest friends, and although she hadn't known Saturn very long before the death of them all, Setsuna had formed a strong bond with the young girl. Would they ever be a team once again? 

Sighing, Setsuna cursed the rule that did not allow her to see her future or that of her friends. 

~*~*~

"Meiou-san, are you sure that Tsukino-san is improving with this tutor? She's been seeing him for over a month now with little improvement showing in her grades," the principal said. 

Setsuna frowned, her gaze centered on the man. "I am certain of Usagi-chan's development, Yamoto-san," she replied coldly. "Even if there is no obvious change, it is there." 

Setsuna had noticed that Usagi hadn't shown any signs of wanting to get rid of Mamoru after a week, and appearantly she still wanted his services. Maybe some of Usagi's long dormant memories had surfaced, allowing her to respect and maybe even fall back in love with Mamoru. How Setsuna hoped that Usagi would find her love returned! And how could she not? Mamoru – Endymion – had always loved her; had defended her. 

Remembering why she had been exiled to the barren lands of Pluto, Setsuna grimaced. Of course Endymion would allow no harm to come to his princess. He would give her up for nothing. _'What did I have to offer him, anyway? A few nights of pleasure before I went back to the Time Gates?'_ she thought bitterly. _'He's better off with Serenity.' _

"Meiou-san, if Tsukino-san improves with this tutor, perhaps you would consider referring other students for tutoring?" the principal asked. "There are some who are in worse condition than even Usagi." 

She shrugged. "Perhaps," she said without feeling, knowing that she would not be there long enough. Meiou Setsuna would be "guidance counselor" only long enough for Usagi and Mamoru's relationship to become love once again. 

~*~*~

Usagi looked at the man standing there, her thought jumbled. "Mamoru-san…" she began hesitantly. "Why are you spending time with me? I mean, you don't have to bother with me when we're not working together…" 

He shrugged slightly. "I like your company, I guess." 

"Oh." 

What else could she say? He "liked her company"? If she had been in a different state of mind, she might take that as an insult, but she didn't. His excuses were his to give, not hers to question. Glancing at him, Usagi wondered what kind of family he had. Mamoru had never spoken of them, not even when they had been discussing family. "Mamoru-san… What kind of family do you have?" she asked slowly. "Are they nice?" 

The man frowned. "Family? I… don't have any family. They died in a car crash when I was very young… I can't even remember them, the doctors said I had amnesia." 

"Oh! I-I'm sorry…" 

He shrugged. "It's in the past." 

Mamoru had talked as if it didn't matter to him, but Usagi could see by the pain in his eyes that it _had_ mattered. He still hurt because of his loss. 

~*~*~

Setsuna frowned, seeing that Mamoru had opened up slightly to Usagi. But was it enough for their love to grow? Sighing, she knew that they were destined to be together, and even if she wanted their relatiosnhip to fail, the prince and princess would be together forever. Biting her lip, she remembered Jori and the times they had spent together. Sure, she hadn't known him that long before both of their deaths, but at least she had gotten a second chance at life. So why was Jori still in the land of the dead? 

"Jori," she whispered. 

Would the pain never go away? It had been many millennia since his death, but it was still a gaping wound within her heart. He had never professed any feelings other than brotherly toward her, and she had been foolish, perhaps, to have fallen in love with him. It hadn't been her choice, though, that had made her love him. It had been something she could not control. 

~*~*~

"Meiou-san?" 

Setsuna looked up, smiling at Usagi. "Yes?" 

"I've been wondering… Have we met before? You seem familiar…" 

The woman's garnet eyes seemed to flicker slightly before she said, "Perhaps we have met in another life." 

Usagi smiled slightly. "Another life? Sure," she said skeptically. 

Setsuna shrugged. "Believe what you will." 

As the girl left her office, Setsuna sighed. "How I wish you could know the truth, hime." 

Usagi's life was a lot easier than Setsuna's, no matter if she was princess or a common girl. "How lucky you are," she muttered. 

~*~*~

As Usagi left the counselor's office, she couldn't help but think that something was wrong. Had Setsuna lied to her? But why? 

~*~*~

Continuing her lonely vigil outside the Gates of Time, Setsuna grasped her Garnet Orb tightly in her hand. "Soon, you will be forced to face Queen Beryl," she whispered. 

Waving the Garnet Orb toward the Mirror of Time, she erased any memory of herself from Usagi and Mamoru's minds, leaving them in love, the way it should be. It would be easier this way. The lonely Time Guardian would continue her duty and the prince and princess would continue to be in love. 

* * *

_Please review... Arigatou!! ^_^ _


	13. "Altero" ... Hidden Desires

_Sorry that this chapter is so short... ::sweatdrops:: _

**_Child of Pluto_**

Chapter 13 >> 

"Altero" ... Hidden Desires 

Over 1000 years later, Setsuna found herself in Crystal Tokyo, along with the other Senshi. It had been a long, rough life since the Silver Millennium, but maybe now they could live in peace. That was the promise of the Ginzuishou, anyway. But was Neo-Queen Serenity's power enough to retain the young images of everyone on Earth? 

The Inner Senshi -- Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus -- had remained in the Crystal Palace with their princess. The Outer Senshi, Uranus and Neptune, had continued their duty of guarding from outside threats. Sailor Saturn remained in the Crystal Palace with the Inners and Chibi Usa. Sailor Pluto was at the Time Gate, of course. She still remembered Neptune's astonished face when she had realized that she was more than just Kaiou Michiru, world-famous violinist. And Uranus' face when she was revealed to be more than Ten'ou Haruka, world-famous racer. 

"Pluto-sama?" 

She turned, not really surprised at hearing Neptune's gentle voice. "Michiru-san, why are you here? Shouldn't you be with Haruka-san?" 

Michiru shrugged. "Uranus is in the Crystal Palace, talking to Neo-Queen Serenity. There was… something I had to talk to you about." 

"What is it?" 

It wasn't often that a Senshi visited the Time Gate, but when it happened, Setsuna knew that something had to be wrong. "I've just recently remembered your… 'infatuation' with Endymion-sama in the Silver Millennium… That's not still going on, is it?" 

Setsuna sighed. "Iie, Neptune, you don't have to worry. My 'love' for Endymion-sama was ended in the Silver Millennium after my banishment. Besides… I could never take away his happiness -- that which he has found with Neo-Queen Serenity." 

Neptune smiled. "Well then, there is to be a Senshi meeting in the Subterranean Control Room. Neo-Queen Serenity says there is something she wishes to speak with us about." 

Pluto's eyebrows raised in surprise. "But I am not permitted to leave my post -- even for a Senshi meeting. I'm afraid you will have to continue on without me." 

Neptune frowned in confusion. "Demo… The queen said that _all_ of the Senshi must be there… Including you." 

Sighing, Pluto nodded. "Very well. I will do my best to attend." 

~*~*~

Later that day, the Senshi of Time made her way down the quiet hallways of the Crystal Palace. Her boot heels echoed eerily in the silence as she walked, the _ping…ping…ping…_ of her Time Staff as it hit the floor each time she stepped a familiar accompaniment to her loneliness. 

As she continued her solitary journey down the hallway, she wondered why she had come here. It wasn't as if she had any _true_ obligation to follow the queen's commands, only a deeply ingrained sense of honor. 

Reaching the end of the hallway, she waved her Time Staff toward the wall. The Garnet Orb began to glow and in the bright glare, the wall slid open. Slipping inside, Pluto continued down the dark corridor, with only wall-mounted torches to light her way. Finally, she exited the corridor into a large chamber where the Senshi and queen were already gathered around a large round table. 

The scene reminded Setsuna greatly of King Arthur and the Knights of Camelot gathered around the Round Table of legend. "Pluto-san," the queen murmured as she looked up, catching sight of the late arrival. 

Everyone turned, seeing the Time Guardian standing there. "Pluto-san, I'm glad you came!" Neptune exclaimed. 

Setsuna shrugged. "I came because my queen requested it." 

As Pluto sat, sending the Time Staff back into sub-space, Neo-Queen Serenity looked around at her assembled guardians. "My friends," the queen began. "I have gathered you here to discuss a very grave situation. I have been informed that there is a 'mind altering' drug being sold in the streets of Crystal Tokyo. If the people selling this are not stopped… Everyone could be at risk." She sighed, pressing a nearby button. A three-dimensional diagram showed up floating above the tabletop, outlining a capsule-like pill. "It is this drug, called the 'Altero,' which is causing many deaths among the citizens. It leaves them susceptible to suggestion and after their 'mission' is done, many take their own lives. This must be stopped, and soon, before it is entered into the palace." 

The Senshi gasped. "This drug could be in the palace?" Mercury asked. "But how? I had thought that no medications were permitted in here without my strict permission." 

"That is true, Mercury," the queen said. "However, there have been a few acceptions that have been floating around… The medicine that some of the servants use is, for example, not checked out by you." She shrugged. "I know that you don't have the time or energy to do tests on all of the medicines." 

"Serenity-sama… What exactly happens to those who are under the influence of this drug?" Setsuna asked. 

"Usually, they are very open to suggestion and will do what they are told without thought or resistance… Other times, a repressed desire or emotion comes to the surface and they act upon it with no idea of right or wrong. They are only focused upon what they want, and how to get it." 

_Desire…_ Setsuna thought. _What if my desire for Endymion were awakened if I were to take the pill? I'll have to be careful!_

Mars frowned. "Hidden desires… Majesty, do you know what this could mean?!" 

Serenity sighed. "I know. We have to be careful that this does not happen, though." 

"What are you talking about?" Venus asked, confusion in her blue eyes. 

The two bowed their heads. "Many of the people are… in love -- or lust -- with the king and queen," Neptune said quietly. "Also… With the Senshi." 

"Except for me!" Saturn piped up. 

Serenity smiled. "Hai, Saturn, you will not be chased after by the boys." 

"Good!" 

As the Senshi all laughed at Hotaru's antics, Setsuna couldn't get rid of her nervousness. What if she were exposed to the drug without her knowledge and she became obsessed with her desire to possess Endymion once again? It would break both Serenity and Endymion -- not to mention the other Senshi! She knew she had to take any and all precaution to keep far, far away from the drug that could ruin her life, as well as that of her friends. 

~*~*~

A month later found Meiou Setsuna a very nervous woman. No bite food would pass her lips without being checked by Mercury. No sip of liquid would enter her body without Mercury's strict perusal. She did her best to remain healthy so she would not be forced to take any form of medicine. Setsuna refused to fall under the influence of this life-ruining drug! 

"I'm worried about Pluto," Neptune said. "Isn't she acting a little… odd lately?" 

Mercury nodded slowly, looking up from the file she had been studying. "Hai, but perhaps it has something to do with the Time Gate?" 

Neptune shrugged. "Maybe." 

"Mercury-chan, please, check this," came the now familiar voice. 

Looking up, Ami prepared herself to go through yet another check of Pluto's most recent meal. Why was she so paranoid lately? Did she think that someone was out to kill her? But what had brought on this change? Maybe it was… "Pluto-san… Do you think you've perhaps come in contact with the 'Altero' drug?" she asked hesitantly. 

Gasping, the woman turned pale, the food tray dropping from now-limp hands to clatter on the floor. "No!" she cried. "I-I've been so careful… Of course I couldn't have gotten it in my system! Unless… You _have_ checked everything carefully, haven't you, Mercury-san?" 

Nodding, Mercury assured her, "Hai. Everything that you have brought before me, I have checked it carefully so that nothing could get by me. Are you… worried about the drug entering your system?" 

The woman shifted carefully, her hands wringing nervously. "N-no, why should I be? It's not like I have anything to hide…" 

Mercury nodded. "Hm. Perhaps this paranoia is brought on by the drug. Has anything odd or different happened lately?" 

"No… Not that I can recall," she said. Moving slowly, Pluto bent down to pick up the spilled food. "Mercury-san, perhaps I've been acting more… afraid than usual. You can forgive me, ne? I'm… not sure what's come over me." 

"Oh, it's quite all right." 

Neptune frowned as Pluto left the room, carrying the tray of ruined food. "Mercury-chan… Do you think that something is wrong with Setsuna-chan?" 

The other girl sighed. "I don't know… I think watching her closely for a few days would be advisable." 

"Right." 

~*~*~

Setsuna found herself standing in the garden of the palace, wondering why she was here instead of the Time Gate. Did she really need to be here? No. She could just as easily remain at the Gate of Time and keep her vigil from there. However… She wouldn't have the constant food-checking there that Mercury provided here at the palace. 

"Setsuna-san?" 

She looked over, seeing Hotaru standing there. For once, the girl wasn't transformed. "Sa-- er, Hotaru-chan. Is something wrong?" 

"Iie… I'm just concerned about you. We all are…" 

Smiling, she said, "Don't worry. I'm just fine." 

"Okay… Well, here, do you want some?" 

The girl held up a chocolate bar, offering it to Pluto. "No!" the woman cried, backing away as all the color drained from her face. "No, you can't make me eat it! It's probably got that drug in it! You want me to follow my desire and ruin everything, don't you? Well, I won't do it! Go away, you devil's spawn!" 

By now, Pluto was cowering in a corner. Worried, Hotaru ran for Mercury and the other Senshi. She knew that something was seriously wrong with Pluto! 

* * *

_ Interesting twist, ne? ^_^ I know, I know. A paranoid Pluto? What is the world coming to?! It'll all turn out okay in the end... Please review!! _

**Author's Note:** I know that this is getting kind of odd... 11 chapters in the Silver Millennium, 1 in the "present" and the rest in Crystal Tokyo... A lot of skipping around, ne? It's done only because the "present" (as in the time with Usagi and Mamoru, that you see in the Sailor Moon series) is shown already, so we know everything about it. On the other hand, we have only guessed about the Silver Millennium and Crystal Tokyo. ^_^ 


	14. Ankokumen Shiti

**_Child of Pluto_**

Chapter 14 >> 

Ankokumen Shiti 

Sighing, Neptune looked at the monitors. "Where are you?" she whispered. 

It had been over a month since Hotaru had burst into the throne room, crying that Pluto had gone insane. When everyone had rushed to where Hotaru indicated, there was no one there. Only a smattering of blood was left in the location where Pluto had been. What had happened? Had she been taken by a rabid animal -- or a new youma? 

But then, they knew that couldn't happen… The only "animals" in the palace were Luna, Artemis, and Diana. And there had been no new youma… They would have been alerted! Now the questions remained… 

Mercury had determined that the blood had indeed been Setsuna's. But how had she been injured? Had she hurt herself in a moment of madness? And… Where was she now? 

"Neptune-san?" 

The woman turned, smiling gently at Hotaru. "Hai, Saturn… Is something wrong?" 

"Iie… I'm just worried about Setsuna-san. Do you think she'll be okay?" 

Smiling in reassurance, Neptune replied, "I'm sure she'll be just fine. Why don't you go rest, or find Chibi Usa-chan? I'm sure the both of you could find something to do." 

Nodding, Hotaru went off to do as Neptune suggested. However, there was still the lingering sadness. It was like a dark shroud over the Crystal Palace -- the constant worry and regret over Setsuna's condition. What had happened to change her so drastically? 

~*~*~

In all of Crystal Tokyo, there was only one place where the darkness ruled. And this was the place where Setsuna now found herself. It was known as "Ankokumen Shiti," the dark city. It wasn't exactly a city, only an extension of Crystal Tokyo, but the inhabitants saw it as their own small metropolis. When Setsuna had stumbled upon this place, she had been in shock. Surely the queen did not know that this place existed! If she did, she would have banished it immediately! 

Ariving in Ankokumen Shiti, Setsuna had realized that this was her place. It was where she should be, especially since the darkness of her soul was coming out. "Setsuna." 

She looked over, seeing Ayami, one of the "lost souls" of this cursed city. "Hai." 

"The 'Great Council' wants to speak with you." 

Nodding, Setsuna rose to her feet and entered the tavern where the "Great Council" held their weekly meetings. But why did they want to speak with her? She was nothing special -- not here, in this dark place. 

The Great Council was made up of five men, who were the "leaders" of Ankokumen Shiti. There was Kaimei, the man whose firey spirit allowed no one to argue his rule. Then, there was Kurayami, the man whose quick thinking had kept them out of the eye of the royalty. Itsuwari, the one whose falsehoods kept him from jail. Tsukurigoto, the one whose great wealth had begun Ankokumen Shiti in the first place. And last, there was Buotoko, whose ugly face and great muscles had earned him his place in the Great Council. 

Bowing before them, Setsuna rose to her feet to stand there proudly. "You have called me, Great Council?" 

"Hai," Kaimei said stiffly. 

"You, Meiou Setsuna, are not one of the dark." 

She stilled. "What… what do you mean?" 

Itsuwari smirked. "You are Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time and Neo-Queen Serenity's most faithful servant! Has she sent you here to spy on us?" 

"Iie," she said quickly. "I came here because my insanity was getting out of control. I could control it no longer. I wanted sanctuary from the duties that the queen was pressuring me with." 

The men looked at each other, contemplating her words. Was she lying? Or merely telling the truth of her sad life? "You are not lying?" Buotoko said in his rough voice. "If you lie, we must kill you." 

She nodded. "I understand the penalty for lying to the Great Council. However, I do not lie. I tell the truth." 

Kaimei rose to his feet. "Meiou Setsuna! You shall become our spy and alert us to the activities of the queen and her court!" 

Staring at him, Setsuna did not let her emotions betray her upon her face. "Hai." It was spoken quietly, stiffly, as if she didn't truly care about these new orders. 

~*~*~

A week later found Setsuna bowing before the queen in the throne room. "I regret my… disappearance," she said softly. "There were matters that could not wait, however." 

"You were nowhere near the Time Gate or the Hall of Destiny. We could not find you anywhere on Earth, nor on Pluto. We were worried, Setsuna-san." 

She shrugged. "I was… busy. I am sorry that you were not able to contact me. There was not… an important reason you needed me?" 

The queen shook her head. "No, nothing truly important. We were merely concerned for your safety. It isn't usual when one of my Senshi turns on another." 

Wincing, Setsuna was reminded of the first moment when she had realized her insanity. "Hai. I should apologize to Saturn, ne." 

Nodding, Serenity studied the Senshi before her. For some reason, Pluto seemed… different. Had something out there -- wherever she had been -- changed her? Then, she remembered the blood. 

"Setsuna-san… There was blood found where you had last been seen. Did something happen? Mercury-san confirmed that the blood was yours." 

Looking off into the distance, Setsuna remembered… 

_As Hotaru ran off, fearing for her "sensei's" life and sanity, Pluto had smirked. _You have no idea how truly insane I am,_ she had thought. _

Turning from the scene of the youngest Senshi making her way toward the palace, Setsuna took a sharp-bladed knife, slicing it across her palm, the blood dripping to the ground. She waited until a substantial amount had coated the ground before quickly hurrying away. She couldn't bear to stay there any longer and see the looks of pity they would give her once they knew that she was truly… insane. 

"Setsuna-san?" 

Her eyes become focused once again, the woman removed herself from past memories. "Hai, my queen?" 

The woman paused as she thought of how to correctly word her command. "The Senshi are lacking in incentive to continue to fight. Perhaps you could help?" 

Nodding, Setsuna hid her emotions from the proud queen. "Hai." 

Noticing that the Senshis' answers were all monosyllable, Serenity said nothing. If something were bothering Pluto, surely she would talk it over with one of the others sometime. Wouldn't she? 

~*~*~

The Great Council smiled as they ended the com-link between their headquarters and Sailor Pluto's communicator. The resident genius of Ankokumen Shiti had figured a way for Setsuna's communicator to operate on a different frequency than that of the other Senshi, and for her to be able to scramble their conversation to any outside listeners. They didn't want anyone to know what they were up to. 

If it were not for Pluto's quick remembrance of the time when a civilian had tapped into the Senshi frequency using a homemade, old-fashioned radio, there would have been a much greater risk to this "operation" than there was now. 

Closing her communicator, Pluto frowned as Uranus walked by. So far, no one had noticed anything different since her return two weeks ago. That was a miracle, she was sure. How long would it be until they realized that Pluto had betrayed them -- that her "insanity" had caused her to go over the brink and forget all the vows she had made so long ago? 

Seeing the king -- her "forbidden love" -- walk by with his daugther, she turned away in shame. She could only be thankful that she had not been exposed to "Altero," the drug that would ruin everyone's life. Gripping her Time Staff tightly, Pluto told herself to just forget about it. It wasn't worth it. Right? 

"Setsuna-san?" 

She jumped nervously, turning to look at Hotaru. "H-hai?" 

Pluto hadn't forgotten the last time she had spoken to the girl -- right before she had realized the depth of her insanity. "Are you… feeling better?" 

Swallowing nervously, she replied, "Hai." There was nothing else she could say to this girl. Before, she had been like an adopted mother to Hotaru, but what was she now? Someone -- something -- to be feared. She hoped that Hotaru didn't come to depend on her, as so many others had. Why did they depend on her? She wasn't one to depend on… She had nothing, really. 

Sighing, Pluto turned away. "Hotaru-chan… There are things I need to do now. We'll talk later, ok?" 

Nodding, the small girl walked away, her Silence Glaive clutched firmly in one gloved hand. "That Glaive…" Pluto whispered. "It could kill us all. That child has the power of the universe in her hand…" 

No one was listening to her, of course. Why would anyone listen to the rantings of a mad woman? 

~*~*~

The Great Council was growing restless. It had been a week since Pluto had reported. What had happened to her? Had the queen and/or Senshi realized that she was a spy? Not that it mattered to them if she was caught or not. It only concerned them if she turned them in. As of yet, none of them were aware of this city of darkness. 

* * *

_ Please review. ^_^ _


	15. Reason For Insanity

_**Excess of italics and repeated scene's fixed. **_

**_Child of Pluto_**

Chapter 15 >> 

Reason For Insanity 

It had been over a month since Setsuna's return to the Crystal Palace. She had refused to talk of where she had been, what she had done. It only aroused the others curiosity further. They weren't sure why Pluto refused to talk about what had happened, but the woman's determination would not be swayed. 

Standing in the central communications chamber of the palace, Setsuna patched into the little-known frequency that gave her access to the Great Council. "I've got news to report," she muttered, careful not to be discovered by any inhabitants of the palace. 

"What have you found?" came the rough voice. 

Moistening her lips, Setsuna replied, "Neo Queen Serenity plans to route out those renegades who make 'Altero' and have them punished. I feel that I should help them. 'Altero' cannot be good for anyone." 

"No. You will not interfere in this. If the queen wants to stop the production of 'Altero,' she will have the Senshi of Time to face." 

"Wh-what?" Setsuna asked shakily. 

There was a laugh. "Ah, didn't you know? We are the ones responsible for the production of 'Altero.' Once there are enough people exposed to it, especially the queen and her Senshi, the people of Ankokumen Shiti can rule the Earth!" 

"But… That would be wrong! The queen is the true ruler of Earth." 

A pause. "Are you now against us -- what we believe in?" 

She sighed. "No." Closing her eyes against the pain, Setsuna whispered, "I still follow you, great ones." 

Breaking the communication link, Setsuna directed her garnet eyes toward the Garnet Orb atop her Time Staff. What was its meaning now? Before, it had meant loyalty to the queen and the Moon Kingdom. Now that she "worked" for the Great Council, Setsuna's loyalties had shifted. Her increasing insanity had robbed her of her morals and values. 

"Setsuna-san?" 

She turned, gripping her Time Staff. "My queen," she said in mild surprise, bowing slightly. "What brings you here?" 

"I could ask you the same question," she said softly. "Setsuna-san, you've been acting oddly ever since your return a month ago." 

Glancing away, Setsuna shrugged slightly. "I have no reason, Majesty," she said quietly. 

Sighing, the queen glanced at the monitors. "You are working the com room today? I thought it was Uranus' shift?" 

"I-It is. I just… took over for a little while." 

> Setsuna couldn't tell her the truth -- that she was speaking with the queen's enemies. "Ah. Well, perhaps you could assist me then. I want to send a message to Saturn -- she's on the Outer Rims, as an envoy." 

Nodding, Setsuna turned toward the monitors. "Would you like me to contact her for you?" 

"Please." 

Patching into the Saturian Senshi's communicator, Setsuna listened in on the queen's conversation with Saturn. There was nothing said that could be useful to the Great Council's dreams of world conquest. 

~*~*~

Looking off into the distance, Setsuna wondered about her change of "jobs." Now that she worked as a spy for the Great Council, her life seemed to have lost it's luster. Why had she done it? Because she had felt guilty for her increasing insanity that had caused her to snap at Hotaru? 

Even now, she could feel the darkness of her madness coming forth to consume her and make her forget those she truly cared about. In time, would 'Sailor Pluto' even be known anymore? Or would she be known as "the one who went insane." 

"Setsuna-san?" 

She turned, arching an eyebrow at Mercury. "What is it?" 

"Er… The results of the blood tests I did on each of the Senshi came back." She paused. "You were -- and still are -- under the influence of the 'Altero' drug." 

Her mouth dropping open, Setsuna stared at the woman. "Wh-what? How can I… I mean, how is that possible?" 

Confusion swam in her garnet eyes. "I believe it was snuck into the food somehow, long before we knew of its existence." 

_'Could that be why I went "insane"? Was it my paranoia of them finding out my desire for Endymion the cause of all this? Is that why I… left?'_ Setsuna thought to herself. That seemed to be the most plausible idea… 

"Mercury, I need you to do something for me. If I was… 'infected' by Altero, what kind of effects would it have? Could it cause me to become… insane?" 

A frown flitted across Ami's face. "Well, I suppose it's possible. Of course, there were different responses in all of us. Insanity could be a factor, yes. Why?" 

"I… It's nothing, just wondering." 

_'I won't tell them that I went insane!'_ Setsuna thought frantically. _'They would think that the drug brought out the insanity that only lay beneath the surface -- that it would have come out anyway, drug or no drug!' _

"Setsuna?" 

Looking at Mercury, she forced a tremulous smile. "It's nothing," she muttered. "Go back to what you were doing. My… welfare is not your concern." 

Turning, Setsuna walked away from Mercury, leaving the "genius" of the Senshi team to frown in wonder. Just what was going on with Setsuna? 

~*~*~

'It was the drug that made me insane,' Setsuna thought as she sat in the lonely abyss of the Gate of Time. So, if it had been 'Altero' that had made her lose her mind, then it was possible that Setsuna's involvment with the people of Ankokumen Shiti wasn't needed. Could she really start over, and become the Sailor Pluto she had once been? The one with strong values and morals -- who didn't allow anyone to sway her from her decisions. 

"Pluto-sama," said a voice she had not heard in centuries. 

Turning, she was surprised to see Queen Serenity, mother of the present queen. "Majesty… How… Why…" 

The silver-haired woman shook her head. "It is not your place to question the hows, Setsuna. I am here to tell you how your fears have changed your life -- and that of those around you." 

Allowing no emotion to show, Setsuna watched the woman carefully. She had always trusted Serenity, she still did, but what if this were some sort of trick? "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you." 

Nodding, Setsuna kept a serious expression on her face. "I shall listen, my queen." 

"Good." The woman paused for a moment before beginning. "I know that this present life has been hard for you and all of the Senshi, especially my daughter. Serenity would not think herself capable of being a princess with the many insecurities she had. At least, when she was first reborn, yes?" 

Setsuna nodded. "Tsukino Usagi saw herself as incompetent in all things she did." 

"Exactly." The queen sighed. "Usagi's insecurities flowed over into the minds of the other Senshi, because of the Royal Bond all of you share. You, the one Senshi who wasn't reborn, should have been immune to this. Instead, it hit you the hardest. Usagi's insecurities became yours -- in a different light. What Usagi was afraid of wasn't the same thing you were -- and what you were afraid of had nothing to do with Usagi. That's the way it was with all the Senshi, although you became 'paranoid' far earlier than expected." 

"You mean that you knew I would start becoming like this?" 

Serenity nodded. "I'm sorry that it was hidden from you, but it was imperative. If you had known, there was a chance that you would refuse to become Sailor Pluto." 

"Wait…" Setsuna frowned. "Why would I have refused my duty -- my birthright?" 

"Because… Once you become a Senshi, you are automatically bonded with the Moon Princess until death." 

"Bonded? As in…" 

She nodded slightly. "As in mentally and physically bonded. You can't defy your destiny." 

Setsuna frowned. "I did not know… How was this hidden from me? I can see all from the Gate of Time." 

The queen shrugged. "There are ways that some things can be hidden. And this was one of the things we thought better you did not know. Can you understand the deception?" 

Nodding slowly, Setsuna frowned. "So my paranoia was all because of 'Altero' and nothing I did?" 

Serenity smiled. "Hai. This puts your mind at rest?" 

"Very." 

~*~*~

"Mercury, are you sure?" the queen asked. 

Nodding, the Senshi replied, "Hai. I had forgotten about it until just recently. Perhaps that is the reason for Setsuna-san's insanity." 

"Maybe… We should find out for certain, though." 

The blue-haired senshi frowned slightly. "But how? All of the record from the Silver Millennium were lost. Perhaps what I am remembering is wrong." 

Serenity frowned. "No, Mercury, I think what you are recalling is correct. But how can we prove it? How can we prove that Setsuna had an obsession with Endymion -- and that it has affected her duties even now?" 

Mercury's eyes lit with a sudden idea. "What if we ask Endymion? Surely he would realize if Setsuna had been acting oddly around him." 

"Hmm… Perhaps that will work." 

~*~*~

Endymion frowned. "Setsuna, acting oddly? Hmm… I can't say that I've noticed… Why?" 

He smiled at Chibi Usa as she trained with Uranus. "She was exposed to 'Altero,' and it… affected her in a terrible way," Serenity said. 

Endymion's eyes flew to his wife. "A terrible way? What do you mean?" 

"Her obsession with you caused her to go insane trying to hide it," Mercury murmured. "Perhaps you don't remember, my king, but in the Silver Millennium Setsuna was put on trial for her feelings for you." 

His eyes widened. "Truly? I… don't remember that at all." 

"None of us do, except for the flashes of memory that Mercury has had lately," Serenity said. "We think it was a stipulation that Mother put on sending us into the future. That we wouldn't remember the event that could have torn us apart and ended our love in tragedy." 

Endymion nodded. "It makes sense that Queen Serenity wouldn't want us to worry that maybe someday Setsuna's 'obsession' could get to her again. But how dangerous do you think it makes her? Do you think maybe it could make her… try to kill you?" 

Serenity gasped. "No, Setsuna wouldn't do that! Would she?" 

Looking to Mercury for an answer, Serenity bit her lip nervously, her wide blue eyes worried. "I don't think that Setsuna would go that far," Mercury said. "However, under the influence of 'Altero' there's no telling what she might do. It would be better if you were careful, my queen." 

"Good. I don't want to think that one of the Senshi might someday suddenly turn on my wife and try to kill her," Endymion said. 

"Setsuna has been looking like she hates me," Chibi Usa commented as she walked up with Uranus, having heard the adults conversation. "She won't try to hurt me, will she, Mama? I trust Puu…" 

Endymion, Serenity, Mercury, and Uranus glanced at each other. The girl was too innocent; too trusting. What if Setsuna wanted to inflict pain on Serenity by abducting Chibi Usa? But… would Setsuna truly be that cruel? 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Please review... And remember, Setsuna is still being affected by the Altero drug. It takes at least 4 months before ALL effects wear off. 


	16. Penalty For Your Sins

**Child of Pluto**

Chapter 16 >> 

Penalty For Your Sins 

* * *

Standing in the darkness of the mystical Hall of Destiny, Sailor Pluto held the Garnet Orb in shaking hands. "Am I not worthy?" she whispered. "I, who swore a vow of fealty at my queen's feet. Is it now time for me pay for my sins?" 

Her eyes closed and a tear made its way down her cheek. A wind swept her moss-green hair past her shoulders so that it blew out in front of her, on either side. "If you so chose, my queen, you could end my life at this moment," she whispered. "Will it be your choice?" 

There was no response, only the eerie sound of the wind blowing through the hall and the irregular plop-plop as the Time Guardian's tears fell to the marble floor. "Forgive me," she muttered, knowing that it would do no good if the Fates had already decided to kill her for what she had done; for going against her queen. How could she have been so foolish? The effects of 'Altero,' perhaps. But was that truly all it was? 

Inside her, Setsuna could still feel the insanity eating away at her, calling for her to do something about this unhealthy obsession with Endymion. It was dragging her down, almost smothering in its intensity. Would it ever end? Holding up the Garnet Orb, she ignored the clattering of the Time Staff as it fell to the marble floor at her side. She would gift herself as sacrifice to the gods so that the others could survive. After all, what was her life worth anymore? She had brought nothing but sorrow into the lives of others! 

~*~*~

"Usagi?" 

The queen looked up, smiling at Mars. Out of everyone who had been reborn into this time, Mars and Mamoru, even ocassionally the other Inner Senshi, were the only ones who called her 'Usagi' anymore. Now, she was only the queen, or Serenity. "Is something wrong?" she asked of the senshi of Fire. Serenity had been sitting at her desk in the 'office' deep within the Crystal Palace, writing out some letters. 

Mars looked at her queen with troubled eyes. "I've had a vision in the Sacred Fire," she said slowly. "I saw Pluto sacrificing herself for the sake of yours and Endymion's love. And because she felt she needed to be punished because of her actions against you and the kingdom." 

Serenity forwned. "Her actions against us? What do you mean? Pluto has always been unfailingly loyal." 

There was no response. Mars clenched her fist in anger. "I saw that, too," she said slowly. "Remember how she was missing for so long? She was in the place known as Ankokumen Shiti. Thanks to her, the enemy knows everything about us! And how to patch into our communicators!" 

Gasping, Serenity stared at the senshi of Fire. "Truly? But why would Setsuna do something like that? She would... betray us?" 

Mars shrugged. "I cannot say, but I saw it within the flames of the Sacred Fire, so it must be true." 

"I wish this did not have to happen... Now, I will be forced to punish her." 

"Perhaps that is why she has - or is going to - sacrifice herself to the gods?" Mars suggested. 

Serenity rose to her feet swiftly, a frown crossing her face. "She will not take the cowards way out! Assemble the others and find her; bring her to me!" 

Mars nodded, bowing respectfully. "Yes, Highness." 

The years of bloody fighting had hardened Serenity's heart, so that she was far removed from the immature child she had once been. If need be, she would punish Setsuna as the crime dictated. 

~*~*~

Uranus looked around, a frown crossing her sculpted face. She had been in the Hall of Destiny many times when she and Neptune had visited Setsuna. This time, though, it was different. This time they were here to take Setsuna to the queen for questioning. Serenity would not tolerate Setsuna's disobedience, and especially not her betraying the Senshi! Why had she done such an unthinkable act against those who were supposed to be her friends? 

"Haruka?" She looked over at Neptune's softly spoken voice. "It's all right. Setsuna-san can't object as long as we are following Serenity's bidding. How could she? Serenity is her monarch, just as she is ours. There is no way for Setsuna to deny the truth." 

Slowly, Uranus nodded. But would Setsuna truly come so peacefully to be judged again? She had been emotionally traumatized by the exile on Pluto and another such event would surely kill her! But would Serenity be so callous as to do such a thing that would break Setsuna's spirit? 

The footsteps of the Senshi sounded abnormally loud in the stillness just before they reached the Time Gate, where Pluto was stationed in her lonely vigil. The mists rolled around them, seeming to lend an air of mystery to the area as the soldiers looked around for the guardian. Where was she? 

Venus frowned. "Where has she gone?" 

They all looked at Mars as she stated calmly, "She has gone to give herself to those who created her." 

"What do you mean?" Mercury asked. 

Mars sighed, looking around the deserted citadel of Time. Had her vision truly come true? Or... Had something happened to the lonely guardian? "I had a vision within the Sacred Fire. I saw Setsuna-san sacrifcing her life to the gods in lieu of her sins. It could be, possibly, that she has already been robbed of her life force and planetary power and is now among the spirits." 

There was silence as everyone absorbed this news. Was it possible that she was now dead? But then they would be without a Time Guardian... Could Time last without a guardian? Uranus felt someone grab her hand and saw Neptune's worried face. Of course she would be worried; they had always been friends with Setsuna. And now... To lose her because of the influence of 'Altero'? This couldn't be happening! 

"I have not yet been taken," came a soft voice. 

Everyone turned, seeing the shadowed form of Pluto. She held the Time Staff gripped in one gloved hand, but there was a mysterious absence of the Garnet Orb which usually rested upon its top. "S-Setsuna-san?" Michiru said softly. "Where... is the sacred third talisman?" 

A sad smile crossed the mocha-toned face of the woman standing there, her dark fuku blending in perfectly with the dark atmosphere of this mysterious and sacred place. "That which is my heart has reverted back to whence it came," she said softly. 

Uranus gripped her lover's hand even harder. "Are you saying that the gods have reclaimed it?" she whispered. 

"Yes." 

It was a statement; there was no room to argue. If Pluto's heart crystal had been "reposessed," so to speak, then it was only a matter of time until the gods called her spirit to rest. But where would they find another Time Guardian? 

"Pluto... Why?" Neptune whispered in confusion. "Don't you think that we could have helped you through this? You're not alone!" 

Licking her lips in hesitation, Pluto's eyes lowered to stare at the mist-shrouded floor. How could she explain it to them; to those who had judged who, found her lacking? "It is not something that you could understand," she said finally. "It's a matter that I had to take care of myself." 

"Pluto, Serenity is worried about you," Venus said. "You're her friend; her protector. Can you just leave her alone with no word of explanation? It will break her! You know how soft-hearted she is." 

Turning away from them, Setsuna gripped the now-lacking Time Staff. It looked odd to them all, not having the Garnet Orb atop it. A chill wind blew through the corridor, blowing Setsuna's hair. "She will get over it," she muttered harshly. "Not everything depends on Serenity's happiness. Why should she be the only one who can be happy; have a good life? It isn't fair!" 

Mars gasped. Was Setsuna's jealousy still eating at her; even after all this time? Frowning, Mars noticed something in Setsuna's stance. It wasn't the stance of a warrior, but rather someone nervous with their current position. Had the loss of her heart crystal caused her to lose all confidence? 

"What are you saying?" Mercury asked slowly. "You resent Serenity?" 

Setsuna let out a bark of bitter laughter, still turned from the Senshi. "Resent? Perhaps not." She shrugged. "What word can I use to describe the depth of hatred, of jealousy, I feel toward she who is so blessed? She has the perfect life, a husband, even a child born of their love. She is queen of the entire world! Who could possibly resent that?" 

The Senshi all glanced at each other, wondering if this was only 'Altero' talking and not Setsuna. "Pluto, why are you saying this?" Jupiter demanded. "Serenity is everything to us! How can you possibly be jealous of her, when she has sacrificed so much for all of us?" 

"Sacrificed?" the woman whirled, pointing her Time Staff at Jupiter. "She has sacrificed nothing! So what if she died a few times? She knew she would always be reborn with the help of the Ginzuishou! It didn't truly matter to her if we lived or died. Why should it? We were only pawns to her; beings who could be sacrificed for the 'greater good' if need be! None of you can deny that simple fact!" Arm shaking, Pluto's eyes closed briefly on the eyes that were full of pain, almost lifeless and let the Time Staff clatter to the ground. "What is left here for me?" she whispered. "I am nothing but a mere mortal now, stripped of my sacred talisman." 

Neptune frowned. "Would the gods truly be so careless?" she wondered aloud. "Once one of us has lost their talisman, there can be no more Holy Cup. Without one of the three, Chaos would reign supreme." She turned haunted eyes to Uranus. "You remember what happened the last time?" 

Uranus frowned. "But all three Talisman's remained together. Even then, Chaos found its' way here. So what's to stop it now - since Pluto's Garnet Orb has been taken?" 

Mercury's eyes widened. "So you're saying... Since Pluto has been robbed of her heart crystal, death and destruction will reign?" 

There was a silent nod from Neptune. "But that can't be!" Jupiter cried. "Everything is supposed to be good; peaceful! This is the Golden Millennium... Crystal Tokyo. Pluto, didn't you say everything would be peaceful after it's creation? How could this happen?!" 

Pluto turned away, bringing her arms up to hug herself. She looked miserable standing there. "Forgive me," she whispered before she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "I never meant for any of this to happen. Truly! I had forgotten... Forgotten what the consequences for my actions would be. If only I had been stronger... If only I had not fallen under the influence of that drug... If only I had not betrayed Serenity..." Her words ended on a sob as she rocked back and forth on her knees. 

No one knew what to say in the face of Pluto's breakdown. How had she fallen apart so quickly? Or had it been going on for some time now, and they had been too busy or distracted to notice? 

* * *

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	17. Execution

**Execution**

Meiou Setsuna looked out the window of her prison, laughing at the ironic state she found herself in. The luxurious room in the west wing looked deceptively rich, but it was merely a gilded prison. A place that she couldn't escape, because she had allowed lust to rule over her mind. Exile to the barren recesses of Pluto had been torment, but even the gilded cage she found herself in now couldn't compare. While exiled on Pluto, she had found a better sense of herself; it had been worth it. Now, though, what was she doing here? Trapped, because she had allowed Altero to take over her mind. 

She couldn't help but be reminded of Charon Castle, which she hadn't seen in over a year. Or was it two years? Time seemed to blend together in the Time Stream until she wasn't sure which of the multiple time-lines she belonged in. The Fourth Dimension was a lonely place, but it was her duty to stand guard and protect the Gates from any unwanted intruders. Only a select few were granted safe passage through Setsuna's domain. 

While incarcerated, Setsuna had been given much time to think over everything that had happened in her life. She didn't ponder the boring points, of course, only lingering on those of interest. She felt a lingering emptiness, one that couldn't be filled by food or kind words of others. It was the emptiness gained after releasing the Garnet Orb from her care. She hadn't been able to stifle the hatred she felt toward Serenity, and it was eating at her night and day. The Senshi had informed the queen of Setsuna's feelings, and the ruler had visited only once since the Time Guardian had been locked away. 

Once, to look at her with pity and murmur an offer of pardon. Pardon, if she would renounce her position as Guardian and beseech the gods for the Garnet Orb to be given to the next in line -- someone more deserving. But Setsuna wasn't stupid; she wouldn't give up the last link to life she had left. If she, as last owner of the Garnet Orb, refused to allow it to be given to the next, the position would stay empty. Setsuna didn't want to make life any easier on the woman who had taken away the very life Setsuna had wanted for herself. The perfect family, husband, child. Ruling over the whole land, doing as she pleased, making everyone follow her every command. No matter how foolish or impossible her request, the queen always had it granted. The same with that spoiled princess... 

The Sailor Pluto that had helped the past Senshi when they came to Crystal Tokyo by use of the Gates had been pretending to be all right; a last act of mercy for the fair queen before her sentencing. Setsuna had already done this in her time, before quickly being locked back up. But without her Garnet Orb, she was essentially harmless. The others were frightened of her, and she didn't blame them. She still cut an imposing figure, and her looks of anger were able to cast fear into even Hotaru's heart. She wasn't ashamed of her actions or her feelings, because they were hers alone. The one thing that no one could take from her. 

Hearing a tapping at her door, she sighed. Who was it coming to pester her this time? Once a week, for the five months she'd been confined, one of the Senshi would try to talk some "sense" into her, and fail miserably. "Enter." Amused garnet eyes stayed fixed on the door to see which soldier had been elected to visit the mad-woman today. Ah, Venus. The golden-haired goddess had matured from the flighty tendencies she'd had as a teenager, and sometimes made for intellient conversation. Setsuna enjoyed her visits with the Love Warrior, but only when Minako was in a chatty mood. 

"What can I do for you?" Setsuna said softly, knowing exactly why the girl had decided to brave the prison. 

Minako sat down in one of the velvet-upholstered chairs, studying Setsuna. "You haven't change your mind." 

"Of course not." Ruby lips thinned into a line as she studied the girl in front of her. She had watched as Minako had grown up, maturing into the battle-ready warrior she was today. Aino Minako had grown from a starry-eyed girl ready to chase any red-blooded male, but had matured under the tutelage of the Outers. 

Minako looked at her, eyes full of sorrow for the comrade she'd lost to the minds ills. Setsuna wasn't the woman she had been before, and it was crippling to see the destruction Altero had caused. Setsuna's choices had ruined her life, but she had only meant well. Until she had snapped, she had been the wisest of all the Senshi. Minako didn't like to think of the woman as insane, but it was what Setsuna had become. 

"Setsuna, the queen is worried that perhaps she'll have to go through with the trial tomorrow." 

The woman shook her head slightly, smiling with a hint of melancholy. "The trial will go on as planned," she said softly. "I have given up my heart crystal; I'm dead inside." 

Minako frowned, shaking her head in pity. "So, just because you had to give the Garnet Orb back to the gods, you're going to live as an empty shell? That's absurb." 

"You are the leader of the royal guard; you are used to commanding people. But those that you lead are nothing like me, Minako. I suggest you remember that." 

Garnet eyes flashing, Setsuna regarded the other girl with an angered look. Lowering her eyes, Minako sighed and got to her feet. "Setsuna, I cannot make you change your mind. Are you prepared to face the public tomorrow, put on trial for your crimes?" 

"Yes." 

Knowing that she could not talk sense into the time-guardian, Minako quit the room silently. Stepping into the throne room, she knelt before the throne, fist over her shoulder in a sign of respect. The king and queen sat on their respective thrones, each regarding the girl with a curious look. "What have you found out, Venus?" 

The golden-haired woman shook her head, gazing at the regal queen. "Forgive me, Majesty, but Setsuna continues to refuse pardon. She wishes the trial to commence as planned." 

Serenity frowned, glancing at her husband in concern. "But... surely she knows she will sentenced to death -- or worse!" 

Venus nodded. "She is aware of the consequences. But I believe... the madness within her soul has taken her over completely. Sailor Pluto will never be the same again." She paused. "Have you spoken with Selene?" 

"Yes, of course." Serenity frowned, reflecting upon what she had learned. "The Moon Goddess is displeased. Setsuna refuses to give up the Garnet Orb to the next in line. If she continues in this way, there will be no future Time Guardian. And then..." 

"Death and destruction will come." 

Serenity nodded as Venus finished the sentence. "There is nothing that can be done, Minako. If Setsuna refuses to accept the destiny of giving up her talisman, then death will come to earth." 

The warrior bowed her head, unshed tears glistening in her eyes. Bits of the trial concerning Setsuna's obsession with Endymion in the Moon Kingdom had slowly been coming back to her, and she hesitated to condemn the woman merely because of that. Who could hate the woman for loving someone out of her reach? "Majesty, must you put her on trial? I understand that it is tradition, but... Isn't once enough?" 

The queen sighed. "It is law," she reminded the guard. "It cannot be changed just because the accused is one of the Senshi." 

Venus nodded sadly, feeling sympathy for the woman trapped in the tower. If only the laws of treason weren't so unbreakable! But Serenity had spoken the truth -- just because Setsuna was a Senshi didn't mean she should get any special treatment. That would show the civilians that the queen's ruling was unjust, and they couldn't have that. It could cause a revolt. "Majesty, I will not question your orders." Bowing her head respecfully, she rose to her feet and exited the room. 

Looking at her husband, Serenity couldn't mask the look of sadness and fear in her expression. "Do you think Setsuna will truly go through with the trial -- let herself be executed?" 

Endymion frowned, reaching out to grasp his wife's slim hand. "If Setsuna does not speak up for herself, there is nothing we can do. It is up to her, remember." 

"But can we really let her decide if she lives or dies? This trial is merely for show so that the civilians won't think I've gone soft. But in the end, it's up to Setsuna." 

"She gave up the Garnet Orb. I think that means that she will choose death." Endymion hated to see the look of misery in his wife's eyes, but Setsuna's choice of death couldn't be denied. "Her mind is too far gone," he reminded her gently. 

Serenity gazed at him sadly. "But isn't there a way... to help her? Surely Mercury can do something!" 

"Mercury's powers of healing can't reach to the mind," he reminded her. "We may have advanced alot, but it isn't enough to save Setsuna from what has trapped her inside world of jealousy and violence." 

The queen knew that her husband's words were true, but it didn't keep her from wishing... 

*** 

"Meiou Setsuna, you are called before this court on charges of treason and planned murder. How do you plead?" 

"Guilty." 

The judge blinked in surprise, looking at the green-haired woman sitting in the chair. "I-I'm sorry?" 

Setsuna got to her feet, regarding the woman with a serious look. "I plead guilty to all that I have been accused of. Treason against the crown, planned murder, and insanity. I await your judgment for my horrid crimes." 

The judge glanced at the royal couple who sat on a dais, their faces grim. Serenity waved a hand to the judge to continue, knowing that the trial had to finish, no matter the verdict. It had to be fair, and if Setsuna admitted to her guilt, then it would be a short trial. Serenity didn't like the idea of making her friend go through such a harrowing experience, but Setsuna's mind was too far gone. Could the insanity plea work? She had just told the court she was insane. 

Standing, Serenity gestured to the uniformed guard who came over and nodded as she whispered in his ear. Going to the judge, he informed her of the queen's instructions. The judge frowned, glancing at the queen, then shrugged once. "Meiou Setsuna has been the Time Guardian for many centuries, and it has, of course, been harrowing on her mind. It is no surprise that she finds herself acting in a way that is unusual." 

Setsuna stared at her, mouth dropping open. "You would grant me pardon on insanity?" she said softly. 

"It is the way of the ancient century," Serenity reminded her. "Do you not forget our anger at criminals who were let off of death-row because of the insanity plea? It's only fair that we not forget that some people do not have control over their actions or emotions." 

"B-but..." Setsuna stuttered, not sure how to respond to the queen's words.Was the queen truly risking public humility by releasing a woman who had committed treason to the crown? It was unthinkable! "I understand that your heart is big, Majesty," she said softly. "But you cannot pardon me because of a foolish idea of insanity. I knew everything that I did, and I do not regret any of it." She paused. "Call me a beast if you wish, but remember that I was once a proud warrior of light." 

Serenity shook her head. "You do not wish to attempt to save yourself?" 

"Why should I? I am guilty, Serenity, there is no question of that." 

The woman lowered her eyes and glanced at the judge. "Judge Mulligan, I regret that I must take sentencing out of your hands." She paused, sympathy flickering her in eyes as the judge nodded knowingly. "Meiou Setsuna, you will be sentenced to die at dawn." 

A hush settled over the crowd, cries of refusal rising up from the Senshi before they were quieted by a look from the king. To go against the queen's commands would be treason, and they didn't want to find themselves in the same position as the Time Guardian. 

*** 

The shadowed form made its way down the hallway, stopping outside the Communication room. The door was closed, a thin sliver of light peeking out from beneath it. A satisfied smile spread over the shadow's face as she opened the door, slipping inside the room to gaze at the occupant who had just shut off a communication channel. 

"Do you miss me?" 

The man turned in his chair, frowning at the figure. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be--" 

"Locked up?" Setsuna smirked as she stepped forward, a finger slipping down his cheek. "I have my ways, Endymion." 

He slapped her hand away, getting to his feet. Sapphire eyes snapped beneath the half-mask as he glared at her. "Control yourself! Is this the sort of respect you show your king -- your queen? Serenity would keel over if she knew--" 

"What? That I lust after her husband?" Setsuna laughed. "Serenity may be a bit child-minded, but she knows what is right in front of her face. She can't deny that I feel for you; that even in the Moon Kingdom I tried to gain you for myself!" 

Striding toward the door, he glared at her. "Go back to your cell, woman. You are foolish to even try to go against Serenity's rule. Death will come to you in the morning." 

As the man left, Setsuna lowered her eyes. "I only wished for one last moment with you, prince," she said softly before she trudged back to her gilded-cage. 

The sun crept over the horizon as Setsuna looked out the window, onto the glittering city of Crystal Tokyo. She hadn't expected Serenity to truly go through with it, but it appeared that she would be. She had heard the palace staff whispering in the corridors the evening before about the death of an honored Senshi. There had been whispers of a magical execution, one that no one had witnessed before. Could the Moon Goddess truly let one of the blessed warriors be killed? It just didn't seem right that Selene would allow the execution to happen! 

Hearing footsteps in the hallway, she looked over as the door opened to reveal the face of Chibi Usa, the pink-haired princess smiling nervously. "Puu?" she said softly. 

Setsuna shook her head. "Don't call me that, little one. That name belongs to the Setsuna who was your friend. You shouldn't be here. I'm a monster." 

The girls' face showed her abject sadness as she stepped toward her mentor. "Puu, is it true what they say? The servants said that Mama was going to have you killed!" 

The former time-keeper felt a pang of sympathy for the girl who had been her friend, young though she was. "Calm yourself, Small Lady. It is nothing to worry yourself over. I've just... made a few mistakes. I have to go somewhere else for a while." 

"Somewhere else?" 

Setsuna smiled, nodding. "Somewhere bright. I'll be okay, and I'll be waiting until you join me. But that won't be for a very long time." 'Unless I end up in hell,' the woman thought to herself. 'And I should - thanks to all of the awful things I've done.' 

The little girl chirped a good-bye, saying that she was going to play with Hotaru. As the princess left the room, Setsuna berated herself. Why had she tried to seduce Endymion last night? Perhaps she truly was insane. 

Hours later, although she couldn't be sure of the correct time, the door opened to reveal Uranus and Neptune, grim looks on their faces. "We're here to escort you to your execution," Uranus said gruffly. 

"Setsuna..." Neptune's words were soft, sadness reflected in her eyes. 

The green-haired woman got to her feet, a sad smile on her face. "Do not pity me, and don't try to change any of this. I deserve to die." 

Escorting her to the circular crystal room just to the right of the throne room, the two Senshi left her in the middle of the room, moving just to the right of the royal couple. Standing on a dais covered with shimmering gems, Serenity looked at her. "Do you have any last words?" 

Setsuna shook her head, keeping her eyes away from the king. She didn't want to be reminded of her failed attempts to draw Endymion into her arms just before she met death. It saddened Serenity to have to witness the death of one of her most trusted warriors, but the former time-keeper had brought it upon herself. The night previous Serenity had spoken at length with Selene, finding out that the Garnet Orb had already been passed on to the next in line and the woman would be granted the powers the moment Setsuna's spirit left her body. 

The queen watched as the royal guard -- Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus -- gathered in a loose circle around Setsuna, clasping hands. They chanted something in a language long forgotten, and then there was a flash of light so bright everyone had to turn away. When it faded, Setsuna's form was transparent, and fading quickly. "Good-bye," the form said softly just before it faded from view forever. 

Serenity clenched a fist, lowering her head. Never had she seen a Senshi's life be taken before by her own teammates, but it was necessary. "Rest well," she whispered before she left the room, leaning on her husband for support. The others lingered momentarily to give the queen her space before they too fled the room of death. 

*** 

**Author's Notes**: OK... Umm.... *dodges rotten fruit* Sorry? ^_^;; Well, that's it for "Child of Pluto." Hope that it was all right. I was originally planning to bring back Setsuna's half-brother, but the story steered away from that direction. I'm sorry to all of the Pluto fans who will throw rotten fruit at me! I'm a big fan of Pluto, too! But, you know... Reality has to enter somewhere. ^_^;; Although maybe this was more insanity than reality? lol 


End file.
